SDA Home2023-10-16T10:31:11+11:00
Join Now

Welcome to the home of Australia's largest union the SDA

In Tasmania, we have over 6,000 members in the retail, fast food, hairdressing, beauty and modelling industries.
The SDA's core business is to negotiate and protect your wages and conditions with your employer. We're front and centre if you need help at work and to answer workplace enquiries - no matter how big or small. You can trust the SDA to deliver when it comes to pay rises and ensuring everyone gets a fair go at work. If things go wrong in the workplace, the SDA is a friend you can't afford to be without.
Join Now

It doesn't cost it pays to belong

Every worker has the right to join a union. Union membership is important for all workers, especially young workers. It is against the law for an employer to stop you from joining a union. Becoming a member of the SDA is simple, just submit an application online or contact the SDA to request an application form.

Contact us to arrange the most suitable option

Current Fees

20 Hours +

$$1130week
  • Working 20 hours or more per week

10 to 20 Hours

$$805week
  • Working between 10 and 20 hours per week

Under 10 Hours

$$450week
  • Working less than 10 hours per week

The amount you pay weekly could be less than a coffee or a burger! coffee-burger

Remember - your union fees are tax deductible!

As a not for profit organisation, SDA contributions are tax deductible. If you earn over the tax-free threshold you can claim your SDA contributions on your Tax return.

Latest News

103, 2017

The SDA Responds to Fair Work’s Penalty Rate Cuts

March 1st, 2017|

The SDA is deeply disappointed by the Fair Work Commission’s decision to cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for retail and fast food workers covered by the Award.

We know the devastating impact this will have on thousands of workers who rely on penalty rates to make ends meet.

The vast majority of SDA members are covered by an SDA – negotiated Agreement which means that the Fair Work Commission’s decision will not immediately impact on these member’s take home pay.

However, it will make it more difficult to negotiate around penalty rates in new SDA – negotiated Agreements in the future.  However, rest assured, the SDA will, as always, continue to protect your take-home pay and argue the importance of fair compensation for working on Sundays and public holidays when we sit down to negotiate a new Agreement with your employer.

For those on the General Retail Award, the SDA will continue to fight to protect your take-home pay.  Our priority is to stand up for you and all workers impacted by this unfair decision.

With your support we have fought hard to protect penalty rates, signing up over 46,000 supporters across the country and making a strong case in the Commission.

Today’s decision to slash the take-home pay of hundreds of thousands of retail and fast food workers covered by the Award is a devastating outcome for working families across the country who will be losing more than $1 billion each year while not creating a single extra job.

Every full-time retail and fast-food worker covered by the Award who works weekends stands to lose $2,000 per year as a result of this decision.

At a time when wages growth is at a record low – Australian workers need a pay rise not a pay cut.

This is devastating for workers and their families – and Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberals are doing nothing to protect the take-home pay of workers.

It is an outrage that the Turnbull Government has sat on its hands as employer groups have fought to cut penalty rates – it can’t sit by and allow penalty rates to disappear.

We must remind them that a cut to penalty rates will hurt workers and their families.

Take action now and call on Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party to protect Penalty Rates:-

  1. Email Malcolm Turnbull & Liberal Mp’s  http://protectpenaltyrates.org.au/fwc/
  2. Sign up to the campaign www.protectpenaltyrates.org.au

All workers will be affected by this decision, now is the time to join our campaign and sign up a friend to the SDA too.  The more members we have, the stronger we are when it comes to bargaining for better outcomes for all workers.

The SDA will continue to update members.  We are here to provide you with advice and support.  If you have any question, please call 63 318166 or 62 341118.

1312, 2016

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR CUSTOMER ABUSE !!

December 13th, 2016|

sda-100mm-bumper-sticker-art

Have you been subjected to customer abuse when working?

We need you to help us to help you and your workmates.

Let’s take a stand together. Click the link below to have your say.

808, 2015

Alcohol and Drug Testing

August 8th, 2015|

New policies are being introduced into many Australian workplaces which enable employees to be tested by their employer for drugs and alcohol. Testing often involves employees being randomly tested for drugs and alcohol in their workplace using breath, saliva and urine-based testing devices. The implementation of drug and alcohol testing policies in retail stores has the potential to impact on SDA members like you. These policies, if introduced in retail stores, may result in you being subject to an unfair, unreasonable and potentially unlawful testing regime in your workplace. If this is happening in your store, the SDA wants to know.

CONCERNED UNION MEMBERS
The SDA has been alerted by members concerned about the impact these new testing regimes may have on them. Following up on our members’ concerns, and worried about the potential implications that these new policies could have for the rights of retail employees, the SDA is keen to hear from any members who may already be affected by drug and alcohol testing regimes.

WHAT THE SDA SAYS ABOUT TESTING RETAIL WORKERS FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
The SDA maintains that it is unreasonable, inappropriate and potentially unlawful to test retail workers for drugs and alcohol. Recent decisions by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) reflect the SDA’s view that testing employees for drugs and alcohol should be confined to workplaces where workers are operating in high-risk, safety critical environments. The performance of construction work and the operation of heavy machinery are roles that can be classified as high-risk or safety critical. Workplace testing for drugs and alcohol is an intrusive procedure that should only be warranted where it is reasonable, appropriate and lawful. Testing should only be considered to minimise risks that impairment, due to drug and alcohol misuse, may pose in a high-risk, safety critical work environment. The SDA recognises that sometimes retail employees may be impaired at work due to misuse of drugs and alcohol, however, there are other ways of managing these incidents. There is no need for heavy-handed, intrusive and invasive testing regimes designed for high-risk work environments to apply to retail stores. Workplace testing for drugs and alcohol is not warranted in a retail environment.

SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICIES IN RETAIL
The SDA has a number of serious concerns in relation to how drugs and alcohol policies may impact on our members:
Drug and alcohol policies have been developed for higher-risk worksites where heavy machinery is in operation, not for employees working in lower-risk retail stores where these high-risk elements are absent. The SDA has not been provided with any evidence of safety issues or incidents in retail stores involving employees affected by drugs and/or alcohol misuse. Employees who are subject to these kinds of policies are often required to disclose private and personal health information, including medication that they have been prescribed by qualified medical practitioners, which is not relevant to their work. Where testing of employees is undertaken, it is often not done appropriately and in line with best practice, that is by an independent, accredited testing agency. Employees’ private information, including non-negative test results, could potentially be held by their employer, without the employee knowing if this information is secure. Drug and alcohol testing policies are often introduced under the guise of promoting employee health, safety and wellbeing, however, they can be still applied by a company in a punitive way, which ultimately may result in an employee losing their job.

WE NEED YOUR HELP
The SDA is very concerned about the potential implications that drug and alcohol testing policies could have for the workplace rights of retail employees. The SDA is keen to hear from members who may already be subject to testing for drugs and alcohol in their workplace.

CONTACT THE SDA
If you are aware of alcohol and drug testing being conducted in your workplace please contact the SDA on 6331 8166.

608, 2015

Returning to Work after Parental Leave

August 6th, 2015|

The majority of modern Australian families rely on two incomes to meet their financial obligations, however, workplace laws and practices have not kept pace with the needs of modern working families.

The lack of flexible, supportive workplaces for working parents is why employees consistently rate balancing work and family as one of their most important workplace issues.

This is particularly so for parents returning to work from parental leave and is one of the reasons Australia has one of the lowest participation rates for mothers in the OECD.

The recent Australian Human Rights Commission national inquiry into pregnancy and return to work discrimination showed that one in two mothers are discriminated against at work and of those, around one quarter are forced to resign.

Under current laws, parents may request flexible work arrangements to balance their caring responsibilities, but there is no obligation on employers to demonstrate they have tried to accommodate an employee’s request and employees have no right of appeal if an employer unreasonably refuses their request. The ACTU is seeking to improve workers rights in this area.

ELEANOR’S DILEMMAScreen Shot 2015-08-06 at 10.15.54 am

Eleanor was a Department Manager at a large supermarket retailer.

When she returned from parental leave, she was told she could not return to her job

on a part-time basis. Eleanor had to choose between returning to her role full-time (leaving her child in full-time care) or accepting a casual sales assistant position.

Like Eleanor, many workers are forced to resign or accept lower pay, lower status and insecure jobs after taking a period of parental leave.

A CLAIM FOR IMPROVEMENTS

The ACTU has lodged a claim in the Fair Work Commission for a clause in all awards to:

  • Create a right for parents to return to their pre-parental leave position part time or on reduced hours which employers may only refuse on serious countervailing business grounds;
  • Provide employees with an avenue of appeal if their employer unreasonably refuses the request to return to work on part time or reduced hours;
  • Create a provision where, if an employer is unable to accommodate an employee’s return to their pre-parental leave position part time, they may accommodate the request in a suitable alternative position of similar status and pay;
  • Entitle parents who have returned part time to go back to the position and work arrangements they held prior to taking parental leave two years from the birth or adoption of their child;
  • Entitle employees to two days paid leave to attend appointments associated with pregnancy, adoption or permanent care

Some employers have taken technical objections to this claim, which must be dealt with by the Fair Work Commission before the merit of the case can be argued. We will keep you informed of progress on this important issue.

608, 2015

Epilepsy and Illness Discrimination in the Workplace

August 6th, 2015|

Over the past few months, we have been dealing with some issues surrounding disability discrimination in workplaces throughout the State.

Disability comes in many forms, and the major concerns facing our members in this area are that of illness discrimination both permanent and temporary.

Late last year, we received a call from a young member who was epileptic and had suffered a seizure at work.

She was concerned for her safety as she worked in an isolated area in a supermarket at night. Also, due to her seizure she was unable to drive and her shift ended at midnight, which meant that she was dependant on her mother to pick her up and drive her home after work.

Her mother worked full-time, which also made things difficult.

Our member’s GP certified that her medical condition required her to have early nights and limited stress. This meant that her working hours were not conducive to managing her illness.

The SDA sought advice from Epilepsy Tasmania in order for us to better understand our member’s condition, and we were then able to assist this member despite resistance from the company concerned.

A short time later, we were contacted by another member who was also an epileptic, had also experienced a seizure at work and had suffered a trauma to his head as a result. He had been taken to hospital for treatment.

The seizure had been provoked by a change to his medication and he was provided with a certificate confirming this.

When our member returned to work, he was advised that he could no longer retain the position he had held prior to his seizure. The company claimed that he was a Workplace Health and Safety risk.

We made contact with the company who refused all attempts by us to obtain a satisfactory outcome for our member and to educate management and staff on epilepsy and correct procedures in the event of another seizure.

Completely unacceptable comments made by both companies with relation to our members’ illness disability included:

  • “We wouldn’t have employed her if we had ”
  • “He bled everywhere and wasn’t even sorry that other people had to clean it ”
  • “He wasn’t sorry that he caused such a disruption to the ”

Despite our attempts to assist our member, the company stood fast on its decision to move him.

The SDA National Office became involved and evidence was gained from Epilepsy Tasmania and the Anti- Discrimination Commission.

The company was eventually left with no alternative but to concede.

Our member still remains in his original position, and Epilepsy Tasmania was commissioned to provide a training session in the workplace to educate and avoid discrimination from management and other employees in the future.

There had also been reports from Delegates stating that strobing lights were not being attended to in workplaces which can, in some cases, contribute to epileptic seizures, despite these matters being brought to the attention of management.

EDUCATION IS THE KEY

As a result of these issues, we included a session at the Delegates conference in May where Katie Biddlestone, National Women’s and Industrial Officer, spoke about discrimination, and Bronwyn Stirkul, Education and Training Co-ordinator for Epilepsy Tasmania educated all Delegates on epilepsy in general, discrimination, the law surrounding discrimination and the services they can provide to workplaces.

Shortly after the conference, we were contacted by another member who had also experienced discrimination in her workplace as a result of epilepsy.

This time her hours had been reduced, putting stress on her and her family.

Once again the company stood fast on its decision, but this time we were better equipped to deal with the situation and the matter was rectified in a timely manner, reducing emotional stress to our member.

Fortunately, not all companies are the same and we have also been advised by one of our Delegates from a Kmart store as to the positive treatment given to her when she advised her store manager of her epileptic condition.

Our member was accommodated with shifts that would suit her and the store manager assisted her with travel to and from work as she was restricted from driving.

Companies have an obligation by law to provide a healthy and safe workplace.

CONTACT US

If anyone is experiencing discrimination due to a disability, illness or any other reason, please contact us immediately.

For further information or advice on epilepsy, we encourage members to phone Epilepsy Tasmania on

1300 852 853 or 6344 6881 or visit www.epilepsytasmania.org.au.

Go to Top