Delegates met around NSW and in Canberra through March for a briefing from Branch Secretary Bernie Smith about the SDA’s priorities for 2017. The focus was on our three major campaigns, which are all featured in the Autumn edition of SDA News:
- Protecting take-home pay following the penalty rates decision
- Defend Boxing Day in NSW
- Tackling the problem of Customer Abuse
Delegates participated in discussions especially on Customer Abuse and Violence, detailing many shortcomings in company policies and often a disappointing lack of engagement from management.
Delegates unanimously endorsed the following motion:
We the SDA Delegates of NSW & ACT condemn the recent FWC decision cutting penalty rates without increasing base rates of pay. We call on the FWC to protect the pay of all retail and fast food workers covered by Awards.
We recognise the benefits that enterprise bargaining has delivered to employees over many years. We need to ensure that all employees are better off overall under new Agreements compared to the Award. We call on our employers to immediately begin to bargain for new BOOT compliant Agreements.
We call on the NSW Parliament to reregulate Boxing Day trading and call for all shops to close on Boxing Day throughout NSW. We also call for the proper recognition of ANZAC Day including for all general shops to close for the whole day.
We support a campaign to reduce the level of customer abuse in the service sector.
We will organise new members to protect our pay, for respect of our family time and to be treated with respect at work.
Delegates went away energised and ready for a big year of work.