Fee Types and Structure

RAFFWU Membership Fees are set by members at each Annual General Meeting of the Union and are among the lowest membership fees of any union in Australia. We recognise the low wages and insecure employment that many of our members work in.

Unlike the SDA, we have dedicated membership categories for workers under 18, who earn as little as 40% of a full hourly wage in fast food and 45% of a full hourly wage in retail. We have long recognised the harm of woefully low discriminatory wages paid to young workers by having a discounted under 18 membership. In October 2024 we launched a major campaign to rid retail and fast food of the predation by big business and SDA on child workers. Predation which sees child workers pay up to 15% of their meagre income to SDA after being tricked, pressured or worse. Stopping this requires organised workers standing together against the deceit and trickery inflicted upon them in their first hours of work. Full membership, full support, full organising, full action – but no cost. It’s not charity, it’s building the future of the militant worker’s movement in Australia. Once members turn 18, they will pay the same fees as others (including discounted casual worker membership.)

We also have a dedicated casual membership fee, in recognition of the fact that casual retail and fast food workers often earn low and precarious incomes, and have fewer workplace rights that the Union can enforce.

The contracted rate membership fee is for the hours you are actually contracted to work, not including the additional or flex hours you might work extra in any given week.

Our membership fees are inclusive of GST. As part of the online membership form you will select which category applies to you – except payroll deduction forms which will be automatically applied.

Like any union or professional association, membership fees paid while you are working in the retail and fast food sectors are tax deductible.

Fee Frequency

Most RAFFWU members pay fees monthly. Our monthly Membership Fee equals a payment of 4 and 1/3 weeks’ of weekly fees – this is because there are more than 4 weeks in a month. (There are 52 weeks in a year, not 48!)

Some of our members pay fees annually. This has a 5% discount when paid annually.

Payroll Deduction members (Coles, Bunnings & some small employers) pay fees weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on their situation.

We don’t want to lose any member from the union because you cannot afford membership fees. If you are suffering financial hardship, let us know and we can apply a fee waiver and check in with you every 3 months. Members can contact us about a fee waiver by email: contact@raffwu.org.au

Fee Rates and Purposes

During August and September 2023, RAFFWU consulted with members on a fee increase in 2024 to meet the growing costs of running our Union. The 2023 AGM of the Union determined to increase fees as outlined in the consultation document which can be found here.

From 1 July 2024 the new fees will apply.

From the launch of the Union in 2016, until mid-2021, our fees did not increase.

In November 2020 the Annual General Meeting of the Union determined to increase fees by 10% on 1 July 2021.

This entire increase is dedicated to the Union’s Defence & Strategic Litigation Fund, which is intended to provide welfare support for workers engaged in serious industrial action, as well as fund specific strategic litigation of sector significance for the Union.

RAFFWU does not donate to any political party, nor is RAFFWU affiliated to any political party.

Your membership fees are entirely applied to the important industrial advocacy, representation, bargaining and campaigning of the Union. The use of resources such as member fee income must comply with our Rules, and strict legislation applies to how RAFFWU uses its resources.

RAFFWU is a not-for-profit union.

Our accounts are fully audited by qualified auditors.

For more information, see our Governance & Finance page.