Today’s revelations that Myer is cutting jobs from a number of stores across the country and slashing employees’ hours is a devastating blow to workers.
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association National Secretary, Gerard Dwyer, said the iconic Australian retailer’s decision to slash its staff and cut remaining part-time workers’ hours by up to 20% will have a devastating impact on workers and their families.
“This is a very sad day for Myer workers, many of whom have spent their whole lives working with the retailer,” Mr Dwyer said.
“This is also a sad day for Australian retailing. Myer has long been an important part of our retail market.
“Myer employees will be waking up this morning to this difficult news, so their needs are the first priority today. We’ll be making sure that everything possible can be do=ne to minimise the impact on workers during this very difficult time.
“There are many hundreds of Myer employees who have dedicated their life to working with the retailer, and this is going to come as a huge blow to them and their families. Myer is an iconic Australian retailer and for many decades it has been an employer of choice for those working in the retail industry.
“Since the May 2014 Budget, consumer confidence has struggled to regain momentum and we’ve seen it fall a further three points in the past month. There’s no doubt this has had an impact on today’s announcement.
‘The Australian workforce is feeling insecure and is looking to the Federal Government to provide stronger economic leadership and policies that see our wealth shared more equitably. Defending jobs and putting in place measures that protect our important industries would be a good start.
“The SDA will have representatives in as many affected stores around the country as possible over the coming days and will be working very closely with workers and Myer to ensure the impact on them and their families is minimised as much as possible.”
Myer workers concerned about the announcement are urged to contact their local SDA branch for further information.
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