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 because we recognise the low wages and insecure employment many members work in.
Unlike SDA, we have dedicated membership categories for those under 18 who earn as little as 40% of a full hourly wage in Fast Food and 45% in Retail. We also have a dedicated casual membership fee recognising casual workers often have many fewer rights we can enforce and income is often precarious.
These 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.
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. The 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 sectoral 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. Our accounts are fully audited by qualified auditors. 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.
Like any union or professional association, membership fees paid while you are working in the retail and fast food sectors are tax deductible.
Most members pay fees monthly which comprise 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 members pay fees annually. We have a heavily discounted Under 18 membership which equates to $2 per week when paid annually. Others have a 5% discount when paid annually.
Payroll Deduction members (Coles, Bunnings & some small employers) pay fees weekly, fortnightly or monthly depending on their situation.
The contracted rate fee is for the hours you are actually contracted to work – not the additional or flex hours you might work extra in any given week. This acknowledges, like casual employment, there are usually few or limited industrial rights to continue working hours above contracted hours.