
Issue No 67		18 August 2000

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News

SDA Launches Appeal for Struggling Multinational

The SDA has stepped up its campaign against Westfield's 'pay-to-work' scheme by encouraging shop assistants to donate money to 'the struggling multinational' in its time of need.

'Shop assistants are now being charged $4 a day to park at work. A full-time adult employee will lose more than two weeks pay every year simply to come to work,' says Greg Donnelly, NSW Secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (Shop Assistants Union.)

'Westfield must be doing it tough if they have to come after shop assistants for extra money. That's why the SDA is launching an appeal for shop assistants to donate 5c and 10c pieces to help Westfield in such difficult times,' he says.

'This should perhaps become part of a statewide, even national appeal to help this struggling multi-national company that is doing it tough.'

The SDA distributed money boxes at a lunch time meeting of more than 500 members at Burwood Park, opposite Westfield Burwood today. On one side they say 'stop Westfield's greedy grab.'

'At least $960 per year out of the hip pocket of shop assistants represents over two weeks wages for full-time adult retail employees, and much, much more for many part-time, casual and junior employees,' Donnelly says.

The State Award for a shop assistant currently stands at $458.80 per week ($12 per hour). The seventeen year old full time rate is $275.30 per week ($7.24 per hour).

'The charge will have a devastating impact on the majority of working mothers and young women in the industry who rely upon their car to get to work,' Donnelly said.

We hoped that Westfield would understand how unfair it is to penalize shop assistants for coming to work. We want free parking not fee parking.'

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  Issue 67 contents

Interview: Slyly Selling the Silver
In their recently published book Privatisation, Sell-off? or Sell out? (ABC Books), Bob and Betty Walker took a long hard look at the major government asset sales of the last decade. Here they tell Workers Online what they've learnt.

Politics: Dysfunctional Society
Noel Pearson looks at the plight of Aboriginal people through a prism of class and comes up with a challenging perspective on Aboriginal welfare, law and order and the state of our society.

History: Money Power
Should the People or the Banks Rule? Reserve Bank Governor McFarlane thinks he knows the answer. Eddie Ward was pretty strongly of the opposite view when the ALP introduced the Commonwealth Banking Legislation in 1945.

International: Soccer Pro Tackles Nike
Olympic sponsor Nike is under pressure over its human rights record in the run up to the Sydney Games.

Economics: Globalony
Frank Stillwell looks at the contradictory nature of the globalising economy and fears it is turning into a race to the bottom.

Satire: IVF Debate: Federal Government Tells Lesbians: "Get Fucked"
MELBOURNE, Monday: The Federal Court decision to allow single women and lesbians to use infertility treatment in Victoria has been attacked by the Federal Government, the Catholic Church and by pro-family community groups.

Review: Confessions Of A Union Buster
It's not a new tome but the threat for Australian Unions remains the same if not greater as when this book appeared five years ago.

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