Attention!

All Meat room Butchers, Packers, Apprentices and Cleaners

Over the past week, we have witnessed Woolworths going into 'panic' mode directing their 'HR Specialists' to deliver a notice that attempts to discredit the Union - in addition to the 'notice' some of these so called 'HR Specialists' have been misleading workers about the Industrial outcomes in Victoria - to the extent that the Victorian Union campaign was unsuccessful and that the company had not conceded anything!

Whilst they would certainly want you to think that - to actually say so is downright misleading!

Woolworths latest Notice (25/09/2002) is not much better!

For your benefit the Union has provided you with a matrix comparison of what Woolworths are saying - and what they are NOT telling you!

Woolworths Notice	What They Didn't Tell You!	What it Will mean for You
Current Employees Not losing any of their entitlements	Current Employees will have their penalty rates 'frozen' at the current rate - over the years they will be reduced in real terms - it is totally incorrect to say that you will not lose any entitlements	Your penalty rates will be eroded and you will have to work in a team where new employees will be paid considerably less for doing identical work - a perfect recipe for low workplace morale and reduced productivity!
Blood Donors Leave	If what they are proposing is what is in the SDA Agreement - then it is limited to a maximum of 2 hours per occasion and to a maximum of 4 occasions per year - subject to numerous conditions	There will be no dollar value to you. The company is just formalising what any reasonable employer would allow as part of their corporate responsibility to the community - evidence to date suggests that it would be unlikely that they would replace absent staff
Defence Service Leave	The company receives Employer Assistance to the level of $850.00 per week per employee subject to certain conditions -  this being the case the 'make up' provisions (if applicable)would be funded by the Australian Tax Payer!	As Above - again the company track record in replacing absent staff has been appalling - the net effect has been an increased workload on those left to do the work

Woolworths Notice	What They Didn't Tell You!	What it Will mean for You
Employees would be paid 3.5% increase per annum	That it would only be for a 2 year agreement. They apparently forgot to tell you that they made $523 million dollars profit last year - which was a 22% increase in profits!	Anyone with a basic calculator can work out what it is worth - suffice to say that any value given is clawed back from you in the erosion of penalties, spread of hours etc This small increase may find acceptance if they were not robbing you of hard won conditions!
Study Leave	Has numerous conditions and is unpaid in any event	No dollar value to you and no cost to the company - again the company has a very poor record in replacing absent staff
You can not be forced to take industrial action	True - but they forgot to tell you that if you do, they can NOT take any action against you because it is 'Protected Action' under the Workplace Relations Act	If you exercise your fundamental right to defend the best retail meat wages in Australia you will be helping to protect those conditions. Just as workers successfully did in Victoria
The company have offered 3 days family leave consistent with the SDA Agreement	The Current Agreement provides for 5 days family leave	A reduction of 2 days family leave can hardly be claimed as a benefit to employees
Salaried staff cannot be involved in industrial action	A lot of meat managers are not happy about the proposed arrangements - unfortunately they are denied the basic right to take action by the company	It will lead to a further decrease in morale in the workplace, lower job satisfaction and decreased productivity  - all of which can effect bottom line profit.
Negotiations in WA are separate to negotiations in Victoria	True - however the classifications are the same, the company is the same, the products are the same - what they won't tell you is that after an industrial campaign in Victoria they withdrew all the obnoxious parts that our members do not agree with. Why won't they do the same here?	We believe that if our members were to accept this sub standard agreement it would be the beginning of a slippery slide from national leaders in pay and conditions to the mediocre agreements that exist in non union and SDA workplaces.
Woolworths staff have been telling workers that we have only got 17% membership and that we have no capacity to take industrial action.	Again definitely misleading - we will not disclose our membership details to employers - suffice to say that many members pay their dues direct to the branch or pay via Credit card or by Bank Account direct debit. Many members prefer to have their membership details kept confidential - we will always respect that! The question of Industrial Action is one that our members will decide - Not Woolworths	A strong and united Union is always in a better bargaining position than a weak divided one. Membership applications are flooding in as more workers realise the benefits and protection that the Union can provide. If you are not a member -  now is the time to join.