Coles Attacks Payroll Deductions in Desperate Attempt to Stall RAFFWU
Previous
On 13 August 2024, Coles notified RAFFWU that it would cease allowing members to pay their union fees to RAFFWU by payroll deduction. This is a serious step by Coles – they are cutting off the capacity for many workers to pay fees through weekly payroll deduction from early October 2024. Below we explain why Coles is doing this and our response.
August 30 2024 Retail And Fast Food Union
www.raffwu.org.au/directdebit

Coles members who have not provided RAFFWU updated direct debit arrangements can complete our special website form with their account details to keep their financial status in October when Coles cuts them off. This is at www.raffwu.org.au/directdebit.

On 16 October 2024, we will commence deducting fees by direct debit from those who have provided RAFFWU those details. Monthly membership is explained on our special website about membership fees at https://raffwu.org.au/about/membership-fees/

Why Is This Happening?   :(

Coles is desperate to stop your union growing.

Over the last 5 years they have been exposed as putting your safety, your livelihood and your rights last. We have been holding them to account.

Coles Hates RAFFWU Action on Safety   :(

In March 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, our campaigns forced Coles to implement COVID safe arrangements such as social distancing and safety guards during panic buying. We then exposed their hand sanitiser was useless against COVID. Coles Senior Management had put millions of Australians at risk for a quick buck because they had abandoned their effective sanitiser over the summer of 2019/20. Worse, Coles influenced the Australian Government to issue a media release alleging their ineffective hand sanitiser worked. An FOI we lodged of the involvement of Coles Senior Management convincing Scott Morrison, Christian Porter and Peter Dutton to make that media release is still the subject of investigation by authorities.

We have continued to run campaigns in many Coles stores to make our workplaces safer. We have called out the Coles Senior Management disregard for worker safety to the Senate, to workplace regulators and to our communities. Our campaigns are getting louder.

It is that simple. They are desperate to stop workers joining RAFFWU and organising for safe workplaces.   :(

Coles Hates RAFFWU Industrial Action For Fair Conditions

Coles has never had national industrial action by supermarkets workers before our action in October 2023. Coles Senior Management know that serious industrial action will deliver higher wages. They know this because in Coles warehouses they pay workers much more in sites which are unionised by NUW/UWU. While our action didn’t yet deliver the outcome you deserve, we saw a massive increase to a 25% no vote. Coles knows that in 4 years, unless they can stop workers organising in RAFFWU, we will win the no vote and they will have to pay workers more.

It is that simple. They are desperate to stop workers joining RAFFWU and organising for living wages.

Coles is Afraid of RAFFWU Action For Privacy Breach Compensation

We have known for some time that Coles provides your private information to SDA contrary to the Privacy Act. In February 2024, we commenced a representative complaint for a member who worked at Coles with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Like hundreds of thousands of other Coles workers, their name was given to SDA without their knowledge or consent. In recent weeks, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner – the statutory body which investigates privacy breaches and awards compensation – accepted our representative complaint and is starting its investigation. We are seeking over a billion dollars in compensation.

Coles was notified of this investigation by the OAIC in the days before they decided to cut off RAFFWU members from paying fees by payroll deduction.

It is that simple. They are desperate to stop workers joining RAFFWU and organising for their rights – like not having their privacy breached.

We have never been, and never will be, on the side of big business. SDA has that covered!

We will only ever be on the side of workers and this means angering Coles when workers rights are attacked. We make no apologies and we will only come back harder and fiercer when big business attacks member rights – like refusing to allow members to pay RAFFWU fees by payroll deduction.

They think by making it harder for members to pay fees, they can stop members joining or stop members remaining in RAFFWU. The best response is to recruit even more members to RAFFWU. Workers can get out of SDA and join the only union in Coles that’s on the side of workers.

If you have any questions please get in touch at coles@raffwu.org.au

Like all other attacks on members, RAFFWU is investigating all options to hold those responsible to account.   :)

The war against Nions goes on and on ... this phase is trying to unbalance Labor ... next phase is to cry to the incoming LNP and get privileges again and chop at Nions (Unions after they threw out U) ...

I can't see why they don't just get on like adults.  Would cost a lot less.  Why bother arguing about Nion fees taken out when they already are?

DUH!!

If ever there was a crying need for a New Party it has never been clearer than now.