As a young worker, Liam* (19) was excited to accept a promotion from his fast food employer. He’d worked hard to secure his new position of assistant manager and was enjoying the extra responsibility and pay that came with the role.
However, after...
Read MoreMeet Scott and Neeka from Woolworths Gosford - our December Delegates of the month!
Scott and Neeka worked hard as a team throughout the recent proposed Woolworths agreement which was rolled out across stores in September & October. Together,...
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Claudia (pictured middle) has worked alongside her team members as a store Delegate representing their working interests for over 3 years. She has been an active member of the Union since 2006.
We asked Claudia about her role as a Delegate....
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With the arrival of summer, employees are reminded of the health and safety risks of working in extreme heat.
The human body sheds excess heat by sweating. Heat illness occurs when the body cannot sufficiently cool itself. Heat illness includes...
Read MoreRetail worker, Barry*, recently needed a transfer to another workplace but ran into unexpected problems when he arrived there.
He faced an all too common problem. His employer attempted to unlawfully cut his hours from full-time to casual in the...
Read MoreYOUR BOXING DAY RIGHTS
On Boxing Day, Monday 26 December 2016, you are entitled to exercise your legal right to take the time off on the public holiday unless you freely elect to work without any pressure, coercion, harassment, threat or...
Read MoreThis week a major retailer failed to process the payment of wages correctly on time. This in itself is disappointing because many workers were left with an anxious wait while the problem was rectified. Fortunately, through the quick response of...
Read MoreImagine if you took a stroll down to the cash registers at work, popped open the drawer and helped yourself to an amount as small as $5, writes Nina Hutchinson.
You would expect some pretty serious consequences, right? Perhaps an investigation...
Read MoreSeptember 2016
Danae is our Delegate at Woolworths Rutherford. She has been a Union member for nearly 6 years and a Delegate since Nov 2014.
Belinda, an SDA Recruiter, sat down with Danae and asked her some questions about her role as a Delegate.
... Read MoreSo Harold (“now I’m on the side of workers”) Mitchell thinks the RDO needs to go the same way as the dodo bird. OK, we will rise to the bait.
He parades his saw mill working class credentials at the same time as he advocates for “examining...
Read MoreDo you know if you're getting paid correctly? When was the last time you checked your payslip? Payslips are vital to ensure that you, the employee, receive the correct pay and entitlements and allow your employer to keep accurate and complete...
Read MoreOur Delegate in Jay Jay’s Kotara, Robyn, recently met with management to advise them that they couldn’t cut back on permanent part time hours without notice. This issue affected both union and non-union members. As a result of Robyn advising...
Read MorePeople of all walks of life need blood products, writes Jade Baker.
Some need it to get them through a serious event in their lives, like cancer or a dangerous pregnancy. Others have medical conditions which mean they need blood products regularly...
Read MoreThe SDA is deeply disappointed with the announcement this afternoon that Masters stores will cease trading by mid-December across the country.
SDA National Secretary Gerard Dwyer said that while stores will remain open for the next 12-14 weeks this ...
Read MoreFamily and domestic violence is a workplace issue, writes Branch Secretary, Barbara Nebart.
The SDA is fully committed to supporting initiatives aimed at removing domestic violence from our society and recognises that Domestic Violence is a...
Read MoreJuly 2016
Jenna Schofield is a Bunnings workplace Delegate. She has been a Union member for 3 years and a Delegate since Oct 2015. We sat down with Jenna and asked her some questions about her role as a Delegate.
Why did you become a Delegate?
I ...
Read MoreStatement from Gerard Dwyer, National Secretary of the SDA – the union for retail, fast-food and warehouse workers – re Coles decision
The SDA is extremely disappointed that Coles have not agreed to make undertakings as invited to by the Fair Work...
Read MoreIn breaking news, the Fair Work Commission has just ruled that the enterprise agreement that 91 per cent of Coles workers who voted endorsed, should remain in place, confirming that the vast majority of Coles workers are better off.
Today in the...
Read MoreMay 2016
Lee Mills is our Delegate in Woolworths Muswellbrook. She has been a Union member for 3 years and a Delegate since Oct 2013.
Kim, an SDA Organiser, sat down with Lee and asked her some questions about her role as a Delegate.
Why did...
Read MoreSDA member Maria Lockwood turned up to work at ‘The Base Warehouse - The Entrance’ last September for an extra shift. Instead she was handed a letter that gave her the sack for reasons which she strongly denied. Her employer would not even talk to...
Read MoreA new ruling from the ATO means that pizza delivery drivers must be paid as employees and not contractors for the purposes of superannuation obligations.
University of Sydney economist Dr Michael Rafferty told The New Daily that the decision is...
Read MoreAimee Ringham, a manager at a Charlestown clothing company, recently contacted the Union, shortly after becoming a member. She was concerned her wages were not being calculated correctly. While the SDA can only represent members with current issues...
Read MoreThe Attacks
Currently there is a three-pronged attack on your rights at work and your right to compensation for working weekends.
Attack One: Employers
Employers have made applications to cut workers’ rights to penalty rates on the weekend....
Kaye Stevens, a long standing Union member working for Myer Charlestown, recently suffered a fall which left her with a broken wrist.
Upon speaking with her store Delegate, she was advised she could claim on the Unions accident insurance which...
Read MoreThe SDA recently held a national week of action for our 100% Pay at 18+ campaign in August (3rd-9th).
The week saw Organisers and Delegates campaign in-store to raise awareness for the cause which currently has 56,536 supporters Australia wide to...
Read MoreJade Baker, Industrial Officer writes:
Here are some of the things you are entitled to as a casual employee:
After a long drawn out Workers Compensation battle, one of our SDA members, Sharon Bailey, had a nice win last year. Sharon Bailey was injured during the course of her daily duties. While on Workers Compensation, the company deducted Sharon’s days ...
A regular feature of the Union’s work is providing assistance to members before, during and after performance meetings. Far too often members find themselves in situations where they say, “If only I’d known!” or “Why was I so silly?”
The golden...
Read MoreA group of members from a national retailer recently contacted the union after staff members received a letter from their head office, which upon reading, they did not understand. The store Delegate contacted the SDA office on behalf of store...
The role of the Women`s Officer is to help our members maintain the balance between their working life and time with their family.
While many of the issues we deal with are specific to women, we can also advise the many dads who need to know...
Clarissa Horsley writes:
To whom it may concern,
I would like to cancel my SDA Newcastle Union membership. I am not sure if I am also still classified as a Union Delegate but if so then I would like to officially resign as delegate as well.
...You have a right to be paid the correct grade:
Employees should be paid in accordance with their correct classification or “grade”.
Enterprise agreements and Modern Awards have a classification section which sets out job roles and the associated...
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