Australia: Dominos Drivers Organize after Pay Dispute

Members of ASF Brisbane who are Domino's Pizza drivers had their wages cut by 19% earlier this year. Since then the drivers have been fighting not only Domino's, but the right wing hierarchy of the SDA Union that encompassed Domino's employees, to have their wages reinstated.

The drivers themselves have formed the GTWA (General Transport Workers Association, affiliated with the ASF) as a response to the inaction of the SDA union and are actively coordinating nationally to reinstate their wages.

About the Dispute at Dominos Pizza

The workers of ASF Brisbane have been in an industrial dispute since 9th of April with Domino's Pizza Enterprises (DPE), after ASF members that are employees of the DPE raised the issue of their wages being
cut.

The union for Domino's employees in Australia is also one of the largest unions, the SDA (Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association) with a membership of around 230,000 workers. The SDA is 'managed' by a right wing catholic hierarchy led by Joe De Bruyn that is not adverse to using the union to push Christian views.

The ASF Brisbane organised a meeting with Tim Van Schyndel, Domino's Industrial Relations Advisor at the Australian Domino's Head Office demanding the reinstatement of drivers wages. This meeting was
unsuccessful.

Following this, ASF-B organised a picket outside the DPE head office, with a very good community response and ASF Melbourne was approached for support. ASF Melbourne unanimously agreed to supporting our
members and starts rolling pickets every weekend outside a different Domino's store, with ASF Brisbane following suit.

Below is a list of six key points that must be included in any further negotiations with Dominos. The drivers will not support any agreement without these inclusions.

KEY POINTS FOR NEGOTIATION & DISCUSSION:

1 The basic rate of pay must always be at least equivalent to the national safety net minimum wage prescribed by FWA which will include casual loading to casual employees. For an adult driver of 21 years &
over this would currently be basic rate of $15.96 per hour + casual loading of 23 % = $3.67 giving a minimum wage of $19.63 per hour.

2 That notwithstanding anything else in any agreement, under no circumstances whatsoever will the minimum wage payable by Dominos ever fall below the national prescribed minimum wage by FWA and that all
employees engaged on a casual basis shall have the casual loading prescribed by FWA in the minimum wage safety net included in the minimum wage payable to any casual employee.

3 Payment of wages at the normal rate of pay (which will include casual loading to casual employees) shall be paid to all employees required to complete any training or attend any meeting whether that training or meeting is held in-store, via the Dominos training website DOTTI or by any other means. Payment of wages will be made for the period of time taken by the employee to complete the training specified by Dominos.

4 All tips received by drivers shall remain the sole property of the driver to whom they are given. At no time and under no circumstance will Dominos ever be entitled to any tip money received by any driver.

5 All hours worked by any employee regardless of what employment status the employee may hold will be paid for by the employer Dominos at the appropriate rate of pay. This will include all hours worked before, during and after any trading hours of any store.

6 That Dominos agrees to make good faith progress with the union towards including all casual staff to public holiday rates equivalent in ratio to those entitlements currently received by full-time, and part-time employees to the extent that by 2014, all casual workers including drivers be paid at the rate of double-time for all hours of
work performed on public holidays.

The list is seen by drivers as realistic and only requests that the most basic of wage entitlements be payable.
The workers are organising to achieve these goals via the General Transport Workers Association.

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