Bras’ knicker knot not

The company’s submission to the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the retail sector received widespread media coverage after warning of future job cuts due to recent changes in workplace laws.

However, the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) confirmed that months before Bras N Things issued its claims over casual loading rates and increased penalties, it had approached SDA and signed a formal agreement on its rates as agreed to by its employees.
National secretary Joe deBruyn took particular aim at its claim that from July 2011 it faced increased penalty rates for night and weekend work.
“Bras N Things approached the union [to sign the agreement], the union didn’t approach Bras N Things,” he said. “In the agreement the union made with Bras N Things, there is no increase in penalty rates for night or weekend work. None whatsoever.”
The company independently approached and signed an agreement with the SDA in November last year, providing a $49 increase on the regular award as a trade-off for a lower penalty rate structure. Bras N Things lodged their submission to the Productivity Commission just seven months later.

“I rang them as soon as I saw the submission. I think after my conversation with the company, they’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a major gap between the actual reality of their situation and what they said to the commission,” said deBruyn.
Bras N Things declined to comment on the matter.
Nadia Stennett