Orange member and Myer’s Umbers work together.
The Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), the union for retail, fast-food and warehouse workers, and member for Orange Andrew Gee, have committed to supporting the 50 staff from Myer Orange before the store’s closure in 2017.
Gee has discussed the closure and possible retraining of employees with Myer CEO and managing director Richard Umbers.
“I gave Umbers a full rundown on what had transpired with Electrolux and how we were able to help workers stay in Orange, and that I believed the community expectation is that Myer would now do the same thing,” he said.
“I also suggested that he needed to start by having interviews with each affected staff member to determine what their situation was and what their needs may be in terms of that retraining program.
“I was very pleased that by the end of the conversation, Umbers had agreed to adopt this model, and I also told him that I was more than willing to work with Myer on it to soften the blow on its workers,” he added.
A Myer spokeswoman told local Orange media, “As the store closure is still eight months away, there is a considerable amount of time for employment options to be discussed.
“Myer will work with each impacted team member to discuss alternative employment opportunities including possible redeployment to other Myer stores where possible, and future career opportunities with national employment provider, Talent 2 as well as assistance with resume writing and interview skills.”
SDA NSW secretary Bernie Smith said Myer is a major employer in Orange so the news will have a real impact on a lot of people.
“We will be working closely with the company to ensure all the possible avenues, including other employment options for these workers, are properly explored. There is a lot of notice before the stores close so we will use that time to work on helping members,” he said.
“Since the news first broke, we have had union representatives in the impacted stores, assisting workers wherever possible.”