Joining the SDA

The SDA goes into bat for you when your current workplace Agreement expires. We sit down with your boss and negotiate the best possible pay rises and workplace conditions for you. This year, the SDA will negotiate new Agreements for more than 10,000 SDA members.

You have a right to be treated with dignity and respect at work. You also have the right to be paid for all hours worked. If you’re not paid correctly, we can help. Your union is here to ensure your employer follows all the hard-won rights in your workplace Agreement skilfully negotiated by the SDA.

The SDA is with you when times are tough and difficulties arise at work. Our team of industrial lawyers is expert at dealing with unfair dismissal, wages underpayments and your employer’s failure to comply with your workplace Agreement. For example, in the past year alone, the SDA recovered more than $100,000 in underpayments for members.

In the past year, injured workers have received more than $3 million worth of entitlements, thanks to the SDA. The SDA’s industrial team offers realistic advice when it comes to WorkCover claims. An initial consultation can be organised with one of our skilful Industrial Lawyers who will guide you in making a claim and detail the level of assistance the SDA can provide.

The SDA makes the workplace safer through its network of more than 200 trained SDA Health and Safety Reps who have prevented hundreds of accidents by spotting hazards and fixing them. The SDA Training Centre is an Accredited Training Provider recognised by SafeworkSA, and offers a range of training options for elected Health and Safety Reps as well as Health & Safety Committee Members.

The SDA also has its own dedicated Health and Safety website with online training!

The SDA is front and centre when it comes to your rights at work. Whether there are problems at the local shopping centre or changes to legislation which will affect you, the SDA is on deck. Our “Don’t Bag Me!” public education campaign stopped a boilover at the checkout when the SA Government banned plastic bags. SDA Secretary Peter Malinauskas’s warning to customers not to take out their frustrations on checkout operators received widespread media coverage.

If you belong to the SDA, you’re never alone at work. You have exclusive access to your:

• SDA workplace Delegate who works right alongside you. SDA Delegates are ordinary workers just like you who are prepared to go that extra mile to help their fellow workers.
• Skilled SDA Union Reps who visit stores regularly and also offer great advice. They can often fix small problems or misunderstandings before they grow into major disputes.

Always contact the SDA early if you have a problem.

Thousands of discounts are available to every SDA member in your exclusive SDA Frequent Values handbook. This valuable little book has discounts on everything from flowers, perfume and video rentals to restaurant meals and bowling passes. You can also save a bundle on massages, paintballing, fashion, gifts, magazines, holidays, accommodation, car rentals, golf and the list goes on.

One of the SDA’s most popular offers is Movie Money. As an SDA member, you can buy cheap movie tickets for Event Cinemas (formerly Greater Union), Hoyts, Wallis and Reading cinemas as well as the Oatmill Cinema in Mt Gambier.

• The SDA puts a bit of fun back into life with its fantastic competitions. Keep an eye on this website for our latest competition. You can always enter online through the Members’ Area!
• Every year, the SDA gives away hundreds of $100 Education Scholarships for school students. You’re eligible if you’re at high school and belong to the SDA. Parents who are SDA members can enter on behalf of their children.
• Tertiary students have a chance to win one of five $500 Education Scholarships because the SDA understands how hard it is to juggle study and part-time work.
• Every second year, the SDA’s overseas scholarships gives one lucky member a chance to live overseas. You can apply for a high school program scholarship if you’re aged 15-18 or an 18+ Community Support Scholarship if you’re over 18. For more details, go to www.afs.org.au.

Staying in touch is important!

• That’s why every time you have a pay rise due, you’ll hear about it from the SDA. You can expect a letter in the mail every time your pay packet is about to get bigger!
• You receive a full-color magazine three times a year which is full of the latest news on issues affecting retail, fast-food and retail distribution workers. You get all the info on cheap movie tickets, competitions and discount offers and you get to enjoy the popular photo gallery of SDA members at work.
• At Christmas, you receive one of the best presents of all: your Frequent Values handbook which is chockfull of discounts and special offers exclusively for SDA members.
• The SDA runs regular campaigns to ensure the rights of our members are not forgotten by politicians and the public – and you’ll read all about them on this website, in the magazine and by direct mail.
• We’ll also keep you posted on any issues specifically relating to your store through regular letters and flyers.

When it comes to your rights at work, just remember SDA.COM.AU. This exciting new website is designed to bring you your own personalised web page with a snapshot of your current pay rate, the date of your next pay rise and a list of your entitlements. All at the click of a button. You can learn about all the services offered by the SDA, enter a competition and apply for cheap movie tickets.

Need advice? Got a problem at work? Do you think you’re being underpaid? The SDA’s confidential hotline receives more than 7000 calls from members seeking help and advice each year. Fast, accurate and efficient advice is available exclusively for SDA members.

SDA Information Officer Kathryn von der Borch can help you over the phone or put you in touch with your experienced SDA Union Rep.