Arising from a National Executive decision in February 2015, there will be an increase in Union fees under our three-level structure. The new membership fees operative from
1 January 2016 will be as follows:
- 20 hours per week or more: $9.50
- 10 but less than 20 hours per week: $6.80
- Less than 10 hours per week: $3.95
Note: Weekly rates for hours averaged over a two-week cycle.
Reason For Fee Increase
The last increase in fees occurred on 1 July 2013, and since then, we have been allocating our resources to many important campaigns on behalf of our members:
The SDA has spent much time, effort and money in successfully lobbying for Easter Sunday to be made a public holiday in Victoria.
The SDA has spent much time, effort and money (including engaging an industrial barrister) to win adult rates of pay at 20 years of age for retail workers.
The SDA has spent much time, effort and money (including engaging an industrial barrister) in defending the three hour minimum payment for casual workers.
The SDA is facing a major attack on weekend and public holiday penalty rates for retail and fast food workers both in the Productivity Commission and in the Fair Work Commission. We have engaged an industrial barrister to defend our members’ interests. This major fight is going on right now.
The SDA is now campaigning to win adult rates of pay at 19 years of age in the retail industry and to introduce adult rates of pay at 20 years of age in the fast food industry.
Of course, on top of all these additional tasks, our day-to-day work involves a number of activities including:
- Defending members’ wages and conditions under new industrial relations legislation;
- Negotiating and renegotiating over 100 Enterprise Agreements;
- Servicing 50,000 members across some 3,000 sites throughout Victoria;
- Offering the widest possible range of services and benefits available to any union member;
- Producing a wide range of publications such as the Union Magazine and other information leaflets and booklets which are provided free of charge to members;
- Lobbying State and Federal governments over issues and matters that impact on our members and their families;
- Representing members both individually and collectively in various tribunals and courts.
The SDA operates in a challenging industrial relations environment, and if we wish to continue meeting these challenges and protecting members’ wages and conditions, the fee increase from 1 January 2016 is a necessity.
The Union is confident that our new fee levels will enable us to continue to function on a sound financial basis.
Tax Deduction
There are many benefits to being a member of a trade union – one benefit is that union fees are tax deductible for those members who pay tax. In other words, the cost of paying fees is discounted by an amount equal to your marginal tax rate. So don’t forget to claim your fees when you submit your tax return.
Other Union Fees
The SDA’s fees – even after this increase – are modest compared to other unions and, unlike some unions, we have a special scale so that if you work fewer hours, your Union fees are less.
Note that a casual who does not receive hours of work does not pay Union fees. They only pay in the fortnights they work.