The Fair Work Commission has ratified an enterprise agreement for fast-food chain Grill’d following months of negotiations.
Gerard Dwyer, the National Secretary for Shop, Distributive, and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), says they welcome the decision of the FWC. The SDA is the Union for retail, fast food, warehouse, and online retail workers which represents some of the 4200 employees at Grill’d.
“The SDA welcomes the decision of the FWC to support the union’s submissions and force Grill’d to improve its paltry offer to its workers,” says Dwyer.
He says Grill’d had been “exploiting a loophole” to deny its workers their legal requirements for more than a decade.
That loophole allowed Grill’d to set penalty rates as flat dollar amounts rather than percentage rates. The SDA took Grill’d to the Fair Work Commission earlier this year following concerns with that agreement.
Unions have been fighting that model as they argue it allows employers to legally pay staff less, because those set penalty rates would not increase with annual wage increases.
“The original agreement would have left many workers less well off, but thanks to the SDA’s efforts Grill’d must now ensure that employees are not paid less than the award during the life of the agreement,” says Dwyer.
Dwyer says the outcome of the agreement also incentivises Grill’d to increase wages in future years beyond the minimal 1 per cent outlined in the agreement.
Grill’d Founder and Managing Director Simon Crowe says the deal approved by the Fair Work Commission received overwhelming support from employees, with 83 per cent backing the proposal.
“The road to a new enterprise agreement has been long and challenging, but our people are our greatest asset. We listened carefully and fought hard to deliver the best possible outcome for our teams,” says Crowe.
“They wanted growth, flexibility, and real benefits, and this agreement delivers all three in spades.”
Under the new Enterprise Agreement, Grill’d team members will receive a significantly higher base pay for both full-time and part-time employees compared to the industry Award, which “comfortably” passes the Better Off Overall Test.
The agreement also provides clear career pathways and a range of enhanced benefits designed to support professional growth and work-life balance.
Grill’d says it faces a challenging environment through the drawn-out process to reach approval for the agreement.
The new deal, signed off last Friday, includes six months backpay for staff which will be paid within the coming weeks.
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Maia Hart
