Many workers in the retail, fast food and warehouse and distribution industries are covered by Enterprise Agreements which have been negotiated by the SDA.

So what are Enterprise Agreements?

Enterprise Agreements are agreements made at the enterprise level which set out the minimum terms and conditions of employment applicable to a specific group of employees and an employer or employers.

Enterprise Agreements build on and/or vary the minimum terms and conditions of Modern Awards.  Modern awards are a safety net of minimum conditions for a whole industry or type of job, for example the General Retail Industry Award 2010 applies in the retail industry.  When a workplace has an enterprise agreement, the modern award doesn’t apply.  Enterprise Agreements and Awards apply in conjunction with the National Employment Standards (the ‘NES’).  The NES applies to all employees (excluding State Government and local council employees) and they cannot be displaced by an Award or an Agreement.

So, for instance, the rate of pay contained in an Enterprise Agreement cannot lawfully be less than the minimum rate specified in the relevant Award, and your annual leave entitlement under an Award or an Enterprise Agreement cannot be inferior to the annual leave entitlement under the NES.

Enterprise Agreements in our industries

The SDA is very experienced at negotiating Enterprise Agreements and has been doing so with major retailers, fast food operators, warehouse and distribution chains and manufacturers for over 20 years.  Agreements negotiated by the SDA which are currently in operation include: