RETAIL TRADE – AUSTRALIA

Pizza Hut must pay weekend penalties

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 2-Oct-17

The Fair Work Commission ruled on 29 September that the national workplace agreement between Pizza Hut and the Shop Distributive & Allied Employees Association be terminated. The termination was made at the request of the SDA, but both it and Pizza Hut were not aware of the decision when asked for comment. The decision means Pizza Hut workers revert to the relevant award. As a result, their normal hourly rates will be reduced, but they will now receive full weekend and evening penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, ALLEGRO FUNDS PTY LTD, DOMINO’S PIZZA ENTERPRISES LIMITED – ASX DMP, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION

Lew’s plans stir Myer investors

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 20 : 29-Sep-17

Anton Tagliaferro of Investors Mutual says Myer Holdings’ shareholders are keen to know Solomon Lew’s intentions with regard to the department store group. There is speculation that Lew could nominate himself or a director of Premier Investments for the Myer board at its upcoming annual meeting. Retail industry veteran Terry McCartney has been touted as a potential nominee. He was appointed to the Premier Investments board in April 2016, and he was the MD of Myer Grace Bros from 1996 to 2000.

CORPORATES
MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, PREMIER INVESTMENTS LIMITED – ASX PMV, MYER GRACE BROS, COLES MYER LIMITED, JUST GROUP LIMITED, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, SMIGGLE PTY LTD, PETER ALEXANDER SLEEPWEAR PTY LTD, PORTMANS PTY LTD, DOTTI, INVESTORS MUTUAL LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, AURIAS DIAMONDS, ZAO SUAL HOLDINGS, MCCARTNEY RETAIL SERVICES

Golden handshake as exiting Goyder pockets $12m

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Original article by Cliona O’Dowd
The Australian – Page: 28 : 21-Sep-17

The annual report of Perth-based conglomerate Wesfarmers shows that outgoing CEO Richard Goyder will receive total remuneration of $A12.1m in 2017, compared with just $A5.5m in 2016. However, Goyder’s short-term incentive bonus was slashed in 2016 due to the underperformance of Target and the Curragh coal mine. Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney has praised Goyder’s contribution during his 12-year tenure. He will be succeeded by Rob Scott in November.

CORPORATES
WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, CURRAGH QUEENSLAND MINING LIMITED, OFFICEWORKS SUPERSTORES PTY LTD, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW

Minimum-wage sting in Coles penalties deal

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 19-Sep-17

A draft enterprise agreement between Coles and the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ ­Association is intended to guarantee that all employees will be paid more than the award rate for the retail industry. If the deal is approved, permanent ­employees who work at night and on weekends will receive award-level penalty rates, as well as the full $A22.10-per-week increase in the minimum wage. However, employees who work solely on weekdays and are now paid above-award rates will receive only 50 per cent of the minimum wage rise.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Consumers put value before price: P&G

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 12-Sep-17

Procter & Gamble’s MD for Australia and New Zealand, Antoine Brun, claims that Australian consumers are not as interested in price promotions as some retailers in the $A90 billion food and grocery sector seem to think. He says retailers need to reduce their discounting "message", and instead focus more on product quality and innovation. Brun notes that extensive discounting discourages product innovation. Procter & Gamble’s brands include Oral B, Duracell and Gillette.

CORPORATES
PROCTER AND GAMBLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PROCTER AND GAMBLE COMPANY, CHEMIST WAREHOUSE, PRICELINE PHARMACY, IRI

Pay shake-up looms for nation’s retailers

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Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 29 : 6-Sep-17

The majority of large Australian retailers have union-endorsed enterprise agreements, but grocery giant Coles is widely tipped to abandon its disputed workplace agreement in favour of the industrial award system, a move that is likely to be followed by other retailers. Coles employees who are on weekend shifts would receive a pay rise, although staff who only work on weekdays would face a pay cut unless Coles implements a "grandfathering" arrangement for existing employees. About 300,000 employees of large retailers would be affected if the awards system is widely adopted, as well as potentially a further 100,000 fast-food workers.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, MYER HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX MYR, DAVID JONES LIMITED, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, KMART AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Harvey Norman offers buy-back olive branch

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 & 28 : 1-Sep-17

Listed furniture and homewares retailer Harvey Norman has posted a 2016-17 after-tax net profit of $A448.9m, which is 29 per cent higher than previously. The group’s underlying net profit was up 15.7 per cent to $A390.8m, while its franchised stores in Australia recorded 5.4 per cent growth in sales, to $A5.6bn. The company’s final dividend has been reduced, although chairman Gerry Harvey has flagged the possibility of a share buyback. Harvey Norman shares closed 7.5 per cent lower at $A4.08 on 31 August.

CORPORATES
HARVEY NORMAN HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX HVN, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, OWNERSHIP MATTERS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AMAZON.COM INCORPORATED

Woolies’ abattoir gets the chop

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Original article by Sue Neales
The Australian – Page: 17 & 28 : 31-Aug-17

The imminent closure of the Churchill Abattoir in Queensland has been attributed to factors such as rising cattle prices and a shortage of cattle to process. Some 500 jobs will be lost when the facility at Ipswich closes in late September. The abattoir processes about 20 per cent of the beef that is sold in Woolworths’ stores, forcing the major retailer to seek a new supplier. Woolworths buys about 600,000 head of cattle each year, with between 9,000 and 12,000 being processed each week for sale across its store network.

CORPORATES
WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, CHURCHILL ABATTOIR, JBS DINMORE, TEYS BROS (HOLDINGS) PTY LTD, CARGILL AUSTRALIA LIMITED, OAKEY BEEF, STANBROKE BEEF, THOMAS FOODS, AUSTRALIAN MEAT INDUSTRY COUNCIL

Union deals cut Sunday pay rates

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 30-Aug-17

The Shop Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association and United Voice have struck enterprise bargaining agreements with major employers that either abolish Sunday penalty rates or feature rates that are lower than the industry award. The EBAs cover some 410.000 employees of companies such as Bunnings, McDonald’s, KFC, David Jones and Big W. The EBAs of several large hotel chains also do not include Sunday penalty rates. However, all of the EBAs that were analysed by the Department of Employment trade off penalty rates in return for higher base hourly wage rates.

CORPORATES
SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, UNITED VOICE, BUNNINGS GROUP LIMITED, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, KFC, DAVID JONES LIMITED, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, DAN MURPHY’S, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS, PROUDS JEWELLERS PTY LTD, IKEA TRADING PTY LTD, PRICELINE PTY LTD, INTER-CONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP, SHERATON MIRAGE GOLD COAST HOTEL, LANGHAM HOTELS INTERNATIONAL, PARK ROYAL HOLDINGS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, GRILL’D PTY LTD, ESTEE LAUDER PTY LTD, SUPER RETAIL GROUP LIMITED – ASX SUL, RACV CLUBS AND RESORTS, UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Wipeout as SurfStitch into administration

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Original article by Sue Mitchell
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 19 : 25-Aug-17

Online skate and surfwear retailer Surfstitch has appointed FTI Consulting as administrators. Chairman Sam Weiss cited a number of reasons for the decision, including ongoing litigation with major shareholder Crown Financial. The first meeting of Surfstitch’s creditors is due to take place on 5 September. Surfstitch listed on the sharemarket in late 2014 with an issue price of $A1.00, and its shares peaked at $A2.12 in November 2015. However, the stock was trading at just $A0.068 when it was suspended in May 2017.

CORPORATES
SURFSTITCH GROUP LIMITED – ASX SRF, FTI CONSULTING PTY LTD, CROWN FINANCIAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, SURFSTITCH AUSTRALIA, STAB, SURFDOME, SWELL, MAGICSEAWEED, 333 CAPITAL PTY LTD, GADENS LAWYERS, QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART AND SULLIVAN LP, AMAZON PRIME, SURF HARDWARE INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD, GARAGE ENTERTAINMENT, DISTRICT COURT OF QUEENSLAND