RAFFWU has been supporting, representing and fighting for Big W workers since we launched in late 2016. 

We represent members in disputes over rosters, wages, safety and more. In enterprise bargaining negotiations, we also represent members who have appointed us as their bargaining representative. Click on the dropdown below for instructions on how to appoint RAFFWU as your bargaining representative at Big W.

Our members at Big W have been organising for better pay and conditions, including the restoration of penalty rates for weekend and evening shifts; the abolition of junior rates, disability rates and other discriminatory wage rates, and conversion rights for casual workers.

We know that workers improve their conditions by organising together. Encourage your co-workers to get involved in RAFFWU, and join the union that fights for you.

Members need to have joined before a workplace issue arises in order for RAFFWU to help you with that issue. Be sure to join now so that you get the industrial advice and support you need, when you need it.

You can read more about RAFFWU and what we do on our FAQ page.

RAFFWU members at Big W can appoint the Union as their bargaining representative during enterprise bargaining negotiations. An enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) locks in core conditions that apply to Big W workers, including wages, penalty rates and job security.

To appoint RAFFWU as your bargaining representative send an email to bigw@raffwu.org.au with the following text and your name and store location:

I hereby appoint the Retail And Fast Food Workers Union Incorporated as my bargaining representative for the purposes of bargaining an Agreement with my employer and in any matter before the Fair Work Commission that relates to bargaining for the agreement.

That appointment will be given to Big W and they must then recognise RAFFWU as your bargaining representative. They must not take any action against you for being represented by RAFFWU. We involve members directly in bargaining and ensure your voice is heard.

Become a member today!

Join the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union

Already a member?

 Want to do more? Become a Delegate!

A photograph of RAFFWU workers at a protest march, standing behind a large red flag. The flag has the RAFFWU logo in its centre in blue, red and white.

Join RAFFWU, the union that fights for you 

Workers at Big W have lost a fortune due to rotten enterprise bargaining agreements (EBAs) that have stripped them of penalty rates and conditions, leaving them worse off than they would have been under the Award.

These rip-off agreements were made between Big W and the SDA.

Big W helps recruit members for the SDA and in turn the SDA is happy trade away workers’ conditions. If you’d like to know more about how and why the SDA operates as a boss-friendly union that sells out its members, check out our SDA Facts page.

RAFFWU members exposed this dodgy deal-making in 2015 and 2016 at Coles. We helped to get the rotten Coles enterprise agreement overturned by the Fair Work Commission. Ever since, we have been working with our members across the country to secure better conditions in their workplaces, including at Woolworths, McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza and elsewhere.

We represented our members in enterprise bargaining at Big W during 2018 and 2019. Our campaigns returned core conditions that had been taken from workers under previous EBAs.

But the SDA didn’t want to ensure proper protections, and didn’t want workers to get backpay for penalty rates that had been previously removed. The SDA also secretly agreed with Big W to delete the specific protection in the EBA that stopped forced redundancies at Big W and prevented widespread store closures. Big W used that secret deal with the SDA to close many stores.

RAFFWU is the only union is fighting for workers at Big W. If you want to be with a fighting, grassroots union led by its members, join us today.

We are the union for workers, not bosses.

Get out of the SDA

You can get out of the SDA and stop payroll deductions today by emailing employeeservices@bigw.com the following text:

I HEREBY RESCIND ANY AND ALL AUTHORITY FOR SDA MEMBERSHIP FEES TO BE DEDUCTED FROM MY PAY. THIS SERVES AS ADVICE UNDER S.324 (2) (B) OF THE FAIR WORK ACT.

RAFFWU – Fighting For Your Rights in the Workplace