November 2005   NEW SAFEWAY AGREEMENT The Safeway Negotiating Committee consisting of Graham Bird, Laurie Burley, Bob Savine, Kathy Haddock, Davie Carne, Carl Bull, Bill Young, Tom Best (Veselinovich), Daniel Hanlon, Elizabeth Lanyon, Kymberley McClelland, Jayson Wright and Denis Lushch, has had a number of meetings with Safeway Management. As a result of these negotiations the Committee has unanimously agreed to recommend a new Safeway Agreement. The Agreement is a good one. It will protect all Safeway meat room employees against the coming Howard Government assault on workers' wages and conditions. It will operate for 3 years until 26th September 2008. The wage increase will be backdated to commence from 26 September 2005. The back pay will be paid after the Agreement is certified by the A.I.R.C. The changes to the existing Agreement are as follows: 1. WAGES- clause 3.1 Employees will receive 3.5% increase per year to their current wage over the life of the new 3 year Agreement. Outlined below are the wage increases for full time employees over the life of the Agreement. WEEKLY WAGE RATES   % of Adult   Rates 23 Sep-05 23 Sep-06 23 Sep-07 DESCRIPTION Butcher 670.96 694.44 718.75 Cabinet Attendant (no junior rates) 100% 592.12 612.84 634.29 Meat Assistant 90% 603.86 625.00 646.87 Wrapper/Packer - 20 Years 100% 592.12 612.84 634.29 Wrapper/Packer - 19 Years 85% 503.30 520.92 539.15 Wrapper/Packer - 18 Years 75% 444.09 459.63 475.72 Wrapper/Packer - 17 Years 60% 355.27 367.70 380.57 Wrapper/Packer - 16 Years 50% 296.06 306.42 317.14     % of Adult   Rates Sep-05 Sep-06 Sep-07 Apprentices 1st Year 50% 335.47 347.21 359.36 2nd Year 65% 436.12 451.38 467.18 3rd Year 85% 570.32 590.28 610.94 Final Year 95% 637.40 659.71 682.80 2. ALLOWANCES The following allowances will increase under the new Agreement. i. Meal Allowance- page 23 The Meal Allowance will increase from $8.30 to $8.60. ii. Transport Allowance- page 21 The Transport Allowance will increase from 50 cents per kilometre to 52 cents per kilometre. For travel in excess of 200 km an additional allowance of 26 cents per kilometre shall be paid for such distance over 200 km. This is an increase from 25 cents per kilometre. iii Second in Charge Allowance- page 15 2nd in charge allowance will increase from $27.70 per week to 28.67 per week payable for all purposes. iv Cold Work Allowance- page 15 Cold work allowance will increase from $3.10 per week to $3.21 per week 3. SPREAD OF HOURS- clause 4.1 The new spread of hours will be as follows: Monday to Friday 5am to 9pm Saturday 6am to 6pm This will allow for greater flexibility to meet customer demands 4. MEAT ASSISTANT CLASSIFICATION- clause 1.7.9 A new classification has been introduced into the agreement to assist with staffing departments. Meat Assistant' means an employee engaged to perform slicing, cutting or trimming fresh meat as prescribed by the relevant competencies within Certificate II Meat Retailing, as determined by National Industry Standards. The Company will support employees who wish to continue the relevant training required to obtain a Trade Qualification for the nominal life of the Agreement. The introduction of this classification will not result in any current meat room employee being displaced. Butchers will remain the majority in Supermarket meat rooms (unless otherwise agreed). 5. SUPERANUATION SALARY SACRIFICE- clause 3.3.5 Employees cover by this agreement will have the ability to pay additional contributions into their superannuation should they desire. This is something the AMIEU have sought for many years and we are now pleased to be able to provide it. 3.3.4 An employee may direct the Employer to pay a portion of the employees wage into the Meat Industry Employees Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd or Retail Employees Superannuation Trust for the benefit of the employee, subject to the amounts prescribed in the Australian taxation office aged based Employer tax deduction limits. Any amounts paid in accordance with such direction are deemed to be paid in satisfaction of the Employers obligation to pay wages set out in the Agreement. Accordingly no breach of this Agreement will occur if the actual wages paid to the employee fall below the rates set by this Agreement solely because of the Employer paying additional superannuation contributions under this clause. 6. PART-TIME EMPLOYEES- clause 4.1.2 A number of changes have been made to the way part time employees work extra hours beyond their core rostered hours. Method of Payment The current rate of pay for extra hours beyond core rostered hours is the casual rate of pay. But those hours are not included for the purpose of calculating entitlements to sick leave, annual leave and long service leave. Under the proposed new agreement extra hours will be paid at the ordinary rate of pay instead of the casual rate of pay. But extra hours worked will now be included in calculating entitlements to sick leave, annual leave and long service leave. 7. CASUAL EMPLOYEES- clause 4.1.3 A number of changes have been made to the way casual employees work extra hours beyond their rostered hours Method of Payment The current rate of pay for extra hours beyond rostered hours is the overtime rate of pay. Casuals will now be able to work up to 38 ordinary hours per week at the casual rate of pay and for anything outside of that overtime rates will apply. 8. MINIMUM SHIFTS FOR PART TIME AND CASUAL EMPLOYEES Part time and casual employees will now be able to work a minimum shift of 3 hours 9. REDUNDANCY- clause 2.15 In the event of any redundancies the amount of severance pay has been significantly increased: PERIOD OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE Current Provision Proposed Severance Pay UNDER 45 YEARS 45 years and over Less than one year nil nil nil 1 year but less than 2 years 4 weeks' pay 4 weeks' pay 5 weeks' pay 2 years but less than 3 years 6 weeks' pay 7 weeks' pay 8.75 weeks' pay 3 years but less than 4 years 7 weeks' pay 10 weeks' pay 12.5 weeks' pay 4 years but less than 5 years 8 weeks' pay 12 weeks' pay 15 weeks' pay 5 years but less than 6 years 8 weeks' pay 14 weeks' pay 17.5 weeks' pay 6 years and over 8 weeks' pay 16 weeks' pay 20 weeks' pay 10. MEAL AND REST BREAKS- clause 5.1.3 An employee rostered to work a 9 hour shift or more will now be able to request an additional unpaid meal break of 30 mins should they wish. 11. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS- clause 6.1.8 Part time and casual employees will now be able to work a minimum of 3 hours on a public holiday Public holidays remain voluntary for all employees. 12. NON TRADING DAY- clause 6.2 A new clause for Non Trading Days has been included in the Agreement. This is essentially the process we have had over the past couple of years but will now be included in the agreement. This clause refers to a day where stores are unable to open due to a Government declaration that the day is a 'Non Trading Day'. Where a store to which this clause applies requires employees to work on the Non Trading Day and the store is unable to open, volunteers will first be called from among the employees who would normally be rostered at that store on the day in question. If there are insufficient volunteers to work, volunteers will then be sought from appropriately skilled employees at the store not normally rostered on the day in question. An employee who volunteers to work on the Non Trading Day shall receive the appropriate rate for the day in question. Where a permanent employee who is normally rostered to work on the Non Trading Day doesn't volunteer to work the employee shall elect one of the following options: i. The employee shall take a scheduled R.D.O or; ii. The employee may take an annual leave day or; iii. The employee may take leave without pay for the day Alternatively; The employee may with agreement with the store manager and subject to the availability of other work, work hours on another day within their roster cycle equal to the hours which they would normally have been rostered on the Non Trading Day. Where this occurs the employee will receive the relevant rate attached to the actual Non Trading Day unless the alternative day worked is a Sunday or a Public Holiday in which case the appropriate penalty rate would apply. Where a store is permitted to open on the non trading day because of an exemption the above provisions shall also apply. Provided that if the company cannot get sufficient volunteers, then employees normally rostered on that day may be required to work. 13. SICK LEAVE - clause 6.3.4.1 If an employee fails to report for duty on the working day before and/or after a public holiday, without reasonable excuse, then they will forfeit payment for the sick leave day and the public holiday. This was previously before and after. 14. FAMILY LEAVE- clause 6.3.5 This has been extended to include same sex partners. 15. DRESS STANDARDS- clause 7.1.1 A section on dress standards has been included: Dress Standards (a) The Company, having regard to the nature of the industry, the work to be performed and the comfort of the employee, shall have the right to determine a code of dress for each employee including colour of clothing. (b) The Company image is an important responsibility borne by all employees. To this end, when at work, employee's presentation, grooming and dress shall be in a neat, tidy, business like manner at all times. (c) An employee who, without due cause, is not satisfactorily dressed when in attendance at the workplace may be directed to cease work without pay until such time as the employee is dressed to the required standard. (d) The Company shall not be harsh or unreasonable in applying subclause 1.3 above. (e) The Company shall not require an employee to dress in a revealing or indecent manner which would cause the employee embarrassment. (f) Where an employee is required to wear a uniform, such uniform shall be provided and maintained and laundered by the company at the company's expense. There is no change to the 75% penalty on Saturday, the 75% on Sunday, and the Cabinet Attendant's Adult Rate. It is the Committee's view that this is a very good result for Safeway members. The Union will post out a ballot paper and a stamped envelope in 2 weeks time to enable you to return a vote to the Union Office by 16 December. For further information please contact your Union Organiser, either Laurie Burley 0418 103627, Bob Savine 0417 328854, Collin Ross 0417 593410 (Gippsland), or Colin Drew 0409 803047 (North & Central Victoria).