Company agreements are based on the minimum conditions of the Modern Awards and/or vary. Modern awards are a safety net of minimum conditions for an entire industry or job, for example the General Retail Industry Award 2010 applies to retail. If a job has a company agreement, the modern price does not apply. Company agreements and bonuses apply in conjunction with National Employment Standards (“NES”). The NES applies to all employees (with the exception of staff of the Land Government and municipal councils) and they cannot be superseded by an arbitration award or agreement. For Woolworth Supermarkets and Big W members, a salary increase has been agreed for July 1. The 1.75% salary increase from the Fair Work Commission will be reimbursed until 1 July 2020. The Fair Work Commission has approved the new corporate deal for discount department store Big W, which will cover around 16,000 employees across Australia. “More than 90% of those who voted supported the proposal, and we look forward to offering our members the benefits of the new agreement soon.” “With the support of the [Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees` Association] and the Australian Workers` Union, we have introduced an agreement that provides improved conditions for our team while supporting the continuation of our business,” a Big W spokesperson said. Big W`s previous contract was established in 2012 and expired in 2015. The proposed agreement will not have shared positions that until now allowed two teams of less than ten hours of break between the teams to work in one day.

Now there must be a 12-hour break (or 10 hours by appointment) between the end of one shift and the start of the next shift. This means that, in some stores, the practice of using shared teams is no longer allowed. Under the new company agreement, big W employees are paid between $21.51 and $23.12 per hour, depending on how long the employees serve. Company agreements are agreements concluded at company level which lay down the minimum working conditions applicable to a group of workers and to an employer. The new agreement provides for wages and conditions above the bonus, with annual wage increases, penalties, an increased burden of circumstance, the choice of pension providers and an increase in entitlements to severance pay. The agreement enters into force seven days after approval and has a nominal expiry date of May 5, 2022.