Darrell Lea introduce AWAs

[29 March 2007]

The Darrell Lea chocolate shop chain this week started using John Howard’s harsh industrial laws to strip its several thousands of casual workers of $100 a week or more.

The SDA said that Darrell Lea was effectively holding a gun to the head of its casual staff.

SDA State Secretary Michael Donovan said the company was stripping their employees of weekend shifts if they did not sign the AWA (individual contract).

“The chocolate shop king wants its employees to accept pauper wages and conditions,” Mr Donovan said.

“For six months Darrell Lea has been recruiting casuals and insisting they sign AWAs.

“Now they have turned to their existing casual staff and asked them to sign an AWA or they lose weekend shifts altogether.”

Mr Donovan said main losses under the AWA would be:

Saturday penalties
Sunday penalties
Public holidays
Laundry allowance
Tea breaks
Sick leave
Accident make-up pay

“There is no compensating increase in wage rates for these losses. In fact the company is not giving any wage increase at all.

“We have already seen Spotlight slash wages and conditions of its staff. Now another company in the retail industry is using John Howard's harsh industrial laws to slash employees’ wages and conditions.”

Mr Donovan said it was ironical that Darrell Lea was taking money off its employees at Easter – the time it will be making its biggest profit.

“This is a disgrace. John Howard’s industrial laws must be overturned so that employees have a decent standard of wages and working conditions.”