Negotiation results What the SDA achieved in the 2014 negotiations The 2014 Enterprise Agreement negotiations have been tough. Many times it looked like the company was going to withdraw their respective offers. SDA Delegates and Officials have a long and proud history of pushing the company and that is why traditional SDA sites have the best rates of pay and conditions compared to similar sites in Queensland. The SDA NEGOTIATING TEAM in the current negotiations pushed the company to a position where we felt we could endorse the offer to go to a pre-ballot vote. Every single claim from the SDA s Log of Claims was raised with Woolworths and fought for. Detailed over is a reminder of what is in the final offer.
The Offer on the Table 1. The proposed agreement would run for 3 years and 9 months. 2. Compounding pay increases of: Year 1: 4.0% on commencement of the agreement, and not before October 24. Year 2: 3.8% Year 3: 3.8% Year 4: 3.6% (for 9 months before the agreement runs out) 3. The solution to the issues with the Reserve Pool, Rotation of jobs, and Promotional Criteria will be resolved through a committee which will meet weekly, with members from all four parties. The Company has committed that the issue will be resolved over an eight week period commencing in early August, and most importantly it will be built around a framework which was negotiated by the SDA Delegates and which has the agreement of all other representatives. 4. Remove the 10 day cap on Public Holidays for permanents. Also, casual employees will receive the benefit of either day (not both) when a substitution occurs. All public Holidays will be voluntary Public Holiday Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) or Day Off In Lieu (DOIL) to be taken within the 60 days after the Public Holiday worked, or paid out in the next weekly pay cycle if not taken within those 60 days. 5. Saturday Penalty Rate to increase to 135% over the life of the agreement (up from 125%), with 2.5% increments each year of the agreement. How It Relates to the SDA LOG Our claim was for 3 years. This is in line with SDA claim 1. Whilst not 6% p.a. it is compounding. This means it is worth 16.1% over the 3 years 9 months. The fact that each rise is in October, not January, is worth an extra 3.8% over the life of the proposal. This will address our SDA claim 7 and should provide a recognised, accessible and transparent career path as well as addressing issues with the Reserve Pool. The removal of the 10 day cap, adopts the SDA claim 28 in full. This is in line with SDA claim 4 although we would have liked 150%.
6. Afternoon and Night shift allowances to increase by 10% in year 1, then increase at the same percentage as the wage rate thereafter (3.8%, 3.8%, 3.6%). 7. The First Aid and Overtime meal allowances are frozen at their current rate. 8. The Freezer allowance will be kept in the Agreement but moved to an appendix. Should the company not install a freezer over the lifetime of the proposed agreement, then this allowance will be removed from the next agreement. 9. Annual leave loading increased to 20% and will also apply to all existing accrued Annual Leave. 10. Annual leave and leave loading to be paid in the same pay cycle as it is taken. 11. RDO Banking for all shifts, not just Night Shift. Members will have the ability to accrue up to five RDO's per year, hours exceeding this will be paid out in the next pay cycle, and any accrued RDO's must be taken or be paid out prior to each of the Agreements pay rises. 12. The company will supply one company high vis polar fleece jumper per annum. 13. Annual leave at half pay. Members will be able to choose to extend their leave by taking twice as much leave at half that rate of pay. This is available to members who have eight (8) weeks or less accrued annual leave and have exhausted all accessible Long Service Leave and it can be taken for two weeks per calendar year in one week blocks. This addresses the second part of our claim 1. This was in line with SDA claim 21 which was ultimately seeking an increase in payment whilst on Annual Leave. SDA claim 10 This was part of SDA claim 35, asking for improved uniform. Company offer.
14. Annual leave cash out - employees can choose to cash out any excess annual leave (along with the applicable 20% leave loading) once per year, so long as they maintain a minimum of four (4) weeks accrued annual leave. 15. Purchase additional leave up to a maximum of two additional weeks per financial year. Additional leave is purchased through a salary sacrifice arrangement. This is available to employees who have four weeks or less accrued annual leave and have exhausted all accessible Long Service Leave. 16. The Company will provide casuals at least one hour notice of casual shifts, being cancelled prior to commencement, via text message or phone (team members can elect to also be notified by other means) otherwise they will be entitled to work the minimum engagement of a 4 hour shift. 17. Compassionate leave - additional benefit of access to two days leave from accrued personal or annual leave where a team member is required to travel more than 400km one way to attend a funeral. 18. Domestic violence clause to be incorporated into the agreement, providing for the use of existing accrued personal leave entitlements for members who experience family or domestic violence. 18. Employees who work a minimum of 7.6 hour shifts will receive one 20 minute break and one 30 minute break. 20. Breaks will not be able to be taken in the first or last hour of a shift, or within an hour of the meal break. 21. Employees on shifts greater than 9 hours can elect to take two 20 minute breaks and one 10 minute break. Company offer in line with their policy. This was part of SDA s claim 20. This partially addresses SDA claim 6. This partially addresses SDA claim 22. This partially addresses SDA claim 23. Partially addresses SDA claim 14.
22. Shift changes initiated by the company will provide team members with a minimum of 21days notice instead of the current14 days. 23. The Sunday rate for existing casuals will be frozen at the current 218.75% dollar amount until such time as the new 200% Sunday penalty exceeds that rate. 24. The Grade 1 casual hourly rate of pay would be reduced to $27.50 for new employees who join the company after the Fair Work Commission s approval of the proposed agreement. This rate is to be frozen for the life of the agreement. This rate will only apply to an individual for between six and twelve months until they move to Grade 2 as per Clause 5.1.2 of the current agreement. This rate will NOT impact any current Grade 1 Team Member who will continue to get the current Grade 1 rate until they progress to Grade 2. 25. Rostering provisions will be amended to say that Grade 2 casuals must be rostered ahead of current Grade 1 casuals, who must be rostered ahead of new Grade 1 casuals. 26. Changing the Personal Leave clause to require employees to provide documentation to the Company within 48 hours of next worked shift if they access personal leave the day before or after a public holiday or an RDO. Partially addresses SDA claim 9. This was a protection negotiated by the SDA negotiating team. Now it s your turn. The negotiated package has many improvements including a substantial wage rise. The final f decision will be up to you.