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Unions & union members make workplaces safer

2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for SDA members who have worked on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic.

October is National Safe Work Month and while the SDA has always worked to make your workplace safer, this year has highlighted just how critical it is for your health and safety to be the number priority.

Without SDA union members, many safety measures designed to protect workers during the pandemic would never have been put in place.

When the pandemic started, our SDA 10-point safety plans immediately called for employers to keep you safe through a range of measures including:

  • Paid leave if you had to self-isolate
  • Plexiglass screens at cash registers
  • Social distancing measures
  • Increased security and police to enforce new measures in stores
  • Hand sanitiser, gloves and masks
  • Promotion of cash free and less handling of customer bags

Importantly, in the midst of panic buying and ongoing unacceptable behaviour from customers during the pandemic, we demanded that shoppers treat retail and fast food workers with respect.

Several employers followed our lead from our No One Deserves A Serve campaign and put up clear signs about zero tolerance towards abusive customers.

SDA members not only look out for each other but also the community and have worked extremely hard to adapt to new measures that help keep the public safe.

Safety will always be a focus for the SDA and everyone in our union, including you, has a role to play to make work safer – from reporting incidents to identifying safety hazards.

Every SDA member has the right to work safely without facing abuse or violence and deserves to return home from work safe.

Help the SDA continue to campaign for safer workplaces, join today.

How the SDA's campaign to stop abuse & violence from customers is making a difference