SDA welcomes re-opening of stores

As the number of new coronavirus cases in Australia continues to fall, the national secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) has announced his support for the re-opening of non-essential retail stores.

“The SDA would welcome members returning to work where and when it is safe to do so,” Gerard Dwyer, the national secretary of the SDA, said in a statement released over the weekend.

“That means instituting the health and safety measures advocated by the union.”

The SDA, which represents over 200,000 retail workers in Australia, has been advocating a 10-point health and safety plan for operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recommendations include installing plexiglass screens at cash registers, displaying social distancing signage and floor markings, increasing the cleaning and sanitisation of stores, providing workers with gloves and hand sanitiser and going cash free. The full plan is listed below.

But not everyone believes these measures go far enough to protect retail workers and shoppers.

Josh Cullinan, secretary of the rival Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that non-essential retailers should close stores and trade online instead.

According to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, more than 850 JB Hi-Fi staff signed a petition circulated by RAFFWU calling for the retailer to close stores and pay staff while they are stood down.

Inside Retail contacted Cullinan, but had not received a reply in time for publication.

However, Dwyer told Inside Retail that the SDA has been in contact with members about the health and safety implications of COVID-19 since early March, and had a teleconference with JB Hi-Fi on April 2 to address specific safety concerns raised by some members.

“JB Hi-Fi management stated that it had already instituted some of the measures, was in the process of instituting more and was open to further engagement,” Dwyer said.

Going forward, he said, the SDA would be guided by health advice of state and local governments in relation to the re-opening of specific stores and locations.

He also said the SDA would not support anything that would undermine the national effort to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

But on the same day he released these statements, the Victorian Government announced the extension of its stage 3 restrictions until May 11.

Under these restrictions, residents are only permitted to leave their home to buy food and necessary supplies, receive medical care or perform carer duties, attend essential work or school, or engage in light exercise.

NSW has similar restrictions in place until the end of June.

The SDA’s 10-point coronavirus safety plan

1. Go ‘cash free’ and accept card payments only.

2. Install plexiglass screens at cash registers to protect workers who cannot keep at least 1.5 metres from customers.

3. Ensure social distancing measures are in place and are enforced, including signage, floor markings, register use and customer volumes.

4. Ensure sanitiser approved by the Health Department is readily available to all staff (current standards require at least 60% alcohol).

5. Provide workers with gloves and personal face shields where requested.

6. Provide bags free of charge for each purchase to avoid handling of customer bags. No use of customers’ used bags unless the customer bags it themselves.

7. Continue to increase security to assist in enforcing social distancing, customer volumes, purchase limits, access limits and in dealing with unreasonable customers. Police resources may also need to be deployed to protect workers.

8. Ensure regular cleaning and sanitisation of workstations and personal protective equipment.

9. Take a zero tolerance approach to customer violence and abuse.

10. Publicly promote the SDA’s No One Deserves A Serve campaign to improve customer behaviour

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