BAD FEELINGS WITHIN WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKETS

BAD FEELINGS WITHIN WOOLWORTHS SUPERMARKETS

It has been brought to our attention that there have been a number of incidents where meat department employees have made disparaging remarks to employees of other departments in the supermarket.

I take this opportunity to explain to the meat department employees that we also were sucked in by the SDA and Woolies when our current EBA was circulated we were not aware that we were in fact voting away the wage rates and conditions of the meat department.

Meetings were held in all stores where it was put to us that if we voted positively for the agreement there were to be no major changes and we would receive pay rise which was to be delivered in six equal installments over the next three years.  At no time during our SDA briefings were we informed that the new agreement was to cover the meat rooms.  In fact, we were told that if we voted “yes” we would also receive many hundreds of dollars in backpay.

We have since learnt that the meat room were banned from attending the lunchroom meetings but were given separate briefings usually held in their departments.  We also understand that those meat employees who were not intimidated by the men in suits who delivered these briefings indicated that they had no intention of voting for the agreement.

We now understand that the agreement to cover the meat rooms as well as the stores was conducted in secret in an office of Woolies, Sydney.

Many years ago we, on the grocery floor, were deceived by our union and as a result lost our right in relation to hours of work to remove all the penalty rates which led to less take home pay.

Beware meat employees that we too were promised that the changes would only affect new employees (not us).  We were not aware that making new employees cheaper than ourselves resulted in mistreatment of existing employees to encourage people to leave (it has been said and compared to bull’s eyes painted on people’s backs).

Meat department personnel need to be aware that new employees that commence after the 26^th September, 2011 will work compulsory rosters with no penalties, Mon – Fri, Sat (normal pay), Sun (reduced by 50%).  These penalties are currently being paid to meat department employees.  We, in the grocery section, once had these penalties too but through deception and an incompetent union (SDA) and a company management who is set on reducing wage costs which results in them as individuals receiving substantial bonuses in addition to their salaries.

Please do not hold the rest of the store responsible for what’s about to happen to you.  If it were possible members of the RRR SDA group and grocery staff would have loved the opportunity to have become members of your union (Meat Union) which for so many years refused to enter into dishonest arrangements with Woolworths’ management.  It is our understanding that when this current agreement finishes (some 9 months later) there is a possibility of you regaining your penalties.  We would suggest that you don’t join our union (Sda) but maintain your current union membership with the Meatworkers.

We wish you every success in your endeavours to regain your conditions.