RAFFWU Asks Federal Court to Void Dodgy Woolworths Deal

In early May, Woolworths announced it would put its rotten SDA sellout deal to a worker vote. It stripped rights, froze wages and cut conditions. We deserved far better.

In July we took the fight to the Fair Work Commission and exposed more than half of eligible workers could have voted No to the dodgy deal.

Despite overwhelming evidence, the deal was approved at the Commission so now RAFFWU is taking the fight to the Federal Court of Australia.

RAFFWU is seeking the Federal Court overturn the deal because:

  • at least 14,000 ineligible workers were given votes,
  • workers weren’t told of secret CFC wage cuts,
  • workers weren’t told about serious detriments,
  • workers were misled about the deal,
  • SDA sold the deal on behalf of Woolworths,
  • the deal leaves workers worse off, and,
  • other serious failures.

RAFFWU is seeking the Federal Court deal with the matter quickly which would return Woolworths to the bargaining table so we can negotiate a fair deal with living wages, safer workplaces and secure jobs.

Support our case by joining RAFFWU today.

Join your fellow workers in the fight for fair wages and conditions by joining our Union today.

RAFFWU SUES WOOLWORTHS

On 4 December 2023, RAFFWU launched historic court action against Woolworths Supermarkets for its 2021 attacks on Victorian and Tasmanian overnight workers. RAFFWU is seeking compensation for all affected workers.

Read our press release.

If you are an affected worker, register for the court action.

Woolworths workers strike!

In 2023 RAFFWU members at Woolworths unanimously endorsed workplace claims that they pursued for the new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA). An enterprise agreement locks in core conditions like wages, penalty rates, casual loadings, leave, job security, rostering and more.

Our members at Woolworths took industrial action in 2023 and 2024 in order to secure what they deserve: a living wage, safe workplaces and job security. The sellout SDA deal denied these rights and, if approved, will block worker industrial action for 4 years.

This is what SDA offers bosses. Sellout deals and industrial action blocking. SDA has been helping bosses like Woolworths screw millions of workers for decades.

Superstrike action by RAFFWU members in October and December 2023 is unprecedented in Australian retail history.

Join your fellow workers in the fight for fair wages and conditions by joining our Union today.

RAFFWU SEEKS ORDERS IN WOOLWORTHS BARGAINING

On 19 March 2024, the Fair Work Commission heard the RAFFWU application for good faith bargaining Orders against Woolworths. RAFFWU represents, by far, the second largest number of Woolworths workers in bargaining. We have exposed secret documents were being exchanged between SDA and Woolworths. We know this behaviour led to a series of woeful attacks on conditions which have left tens of thousands of Big W workers worse off. Woolworths was also found to have breached the Good Faith Bargaining Requirements in that case too. Historically, as outlined in our submissions, this behaviour by Woolworths and SDA has cost millions of workers, billions of dollars.

Download our submissions here: 240220 GFBO RAFFWU v WW – RAFFWU Submissions (Without Annexures)

A huge thanks to RAFFWU delegate and bargaining team member, Josh Reinecker, for being a key witness. We also acknowledge Anthony Hicks, a worker from a Woolworths store in Perth who represents 20 co-workers in bargaining and who filed an application for orders against Woolworths too.

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A living wage at Woolworths

SDA and Woolworths cut a deal which denied workers living wages, secure jobs and safer workplaces. In bargaining, our members set our claims and we pursued them including by taking direct industrial action.

Our members’ claims for a new enterprise agreement included:

  • A base rate of $29/hour for all Woolworths workers, before the addition of penalty rates, casual loading or overtime;
  • The abolition of junior rates, rates, supported wage rates, trainee rates and any other poverty rates at Woolworths;
  • Abolition of the RT3 automated rostering system;
  • The right to a minimum shift length, minimum part-time contracts of 12 hours/week, and conversion rights for casual Woolworths workers

You can read the full list of claims endorsed by our members here. These claims represented our members’ determination to pursue a better deal for workers at Woolworths.

In negotiating a new enterprise agreement, we represent our members at Woolworths who have appointed RAFFWU as their bargaining representative.

First of all you need to become a member of RAFFWU. Join the union by filling in a membership application.

You can then appoint RAFFWU as your bargaining representative by emailing woolies@raffwu.org.au with your name, store location and the text below:

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 Woolworths and they must then recognise RAFFWU as your bargaining representative in the workplace. They must not take any action against you for being represented by RAFFWU.

Two Woolworths workers and RAFFWU members standing together inside their store, wearing Superstrike t-shirts
A group of striking workers outside a shopping centre, holding the Retail and Fast Food Workers Union flag. Some workers have their fists raised in a gesture of solidarity.
Union supporters during a Superstrike action, with placards reading "Stand up fight back" and "If you don't fight, you lose".

RAFFWU fights for you

For decades, Woolworths workers were paid less than minimum Award wages. Sell-out deals between Woolworths and the SDA meant that workers were getting far less than they deserved.

RAFFWU members exposed this dodgy behaviour in 2015 and 2016. We worked for three years to overturn a rotten enterprise agreement.

Our members were the only Woolworths workers at the table during enterprise bargaining in 2018.

We forced Woolworths to give back.

Minimum penalty rates, casual loading, shift rates, overtime rates, uniform allowances and more were reinstated in 2019 because our members organised and fought for their rights at work.

But that 2019 agreement, which was rushed through by Woolworths and the SDA, should have been so much better. 

Most of all – there was no backpay to compensate for years of wage theft. Over $1 Billion ripped from workers.

When your roster is bad, your workplace isn’t safe, you aren’t being paid properly, or for any other issue – fight back with RAFFWU.

Get out of the SDA

You can stop SDA deductions by clicking the red button below and sending the email which it generates. Get out of the SDA and be represented by the only fighting union for Woolworths workers – RAFFWU.

Our members win

Every day our members wage and win local campaigns, including at Woolworths Moorabbin and Woolworths Lilydale.

You can watch a short video about the Moorabbin workplace safety campaign here.

Read more below about our members’ campaigns.

In 2018 at Woolworths Moorabbin, RAFFWU members organised for their safety in the face of escalating assaults and abuse by customers.

Fed up with the bosses’ lack of action, our members letterboxed the community, held a rally and even walked off the job until a security guard was hired at the store to improve the safety of workers.

In 2020, RAFFWU members at Woolworths Lilydale also launched a campaign for improved workplace safety, including store car park lights being kept on at night when workers return to their cars.

Workers at Lilydale won this campaign, but Woolworths retaliated by targeting union activists – rotten behaviour which we exposed in a groundbreaking prosecution in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. In 2022 Woolworths admitted to its unlawful union-busting.

Why join RAFFWU?

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.

RAFFWU is your active, grassroots union at Woolworths – a union for workers, not bosses.

Securing the best workplace agreement with better wages, safety, job security and conditions needs many workers campaigning together. Encourage your co-workers to get involved in RAFFWU, and join the union that fights for you.

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

Woolworths Superstrike in Broken Hill, October 2023

RAFFWU – Fighting For Your Rights in the Workplace