Apple Retail Store employees in Australia have reached an agreement with the company on a new four-year contract, bringing the base pay for entry-level employees up to $22.45 ($20.95 USD) and allowing for 2% annual pay increases, reports ifoAppleStore.
The contract (PDF link), which was approved by 90% of the country's retail employees and certified by the Australian government, will go into effect on November 1 and also reclassifies the hierarchy of retail employees to define specific responsibilities.
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For instance, Level 1 employees include those responsible for store aspects such as assisting customers and doing repairs, which correspond to Apple Specialist and Genius positions, while Level 2 employees are defined as those who work at a "higher level" than Level 1 employees and/or supervise as designated area of the store. Meanwhile, Level 3 employees perform full managerial duties, and correspond to Apple Business Leader, Store Leader, and Market Leader positions.
When the agreement becomes effective this November 1st, starting pay for full-time Level 1 employees will be $20.95 per hour (all rates in U.S. dollars), and Level 2 will start at $25.26. Casual employees will receive 25 percent more per hour to offset fewer benefits. Level 3 employees are management, and will receive a base annual pay of $72,779. The Level 1 base pay represents a 25 percent premium over the current $16.69 Australian minimum wage. However, the annual pay increases are less than the FWC’s 2.6 percent increase in the 2013 minimum wage.
Also included in the new contract are terms on grievance procedures and general working conditions. Notably, workers can receive multiple weeks of "redundancy" pay if Apple determines that a job being performed is no longer required, with compensation depending on age and years of continuous service. Additionally, workers who have a first-aid qualification are paid an extra $29.56 every two weeks, and all workers are also permitted to take two hours off from work to donate blood up to four times a year.
Finally, the agreement touches on the subject of 'Bag Check' inspections, which was the subject of a class action lawsuit last year. Apple Australia states that employees will be required to participate and fully-co operate with the bag and locker inspections, as they "may happen at any time."
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Top Rated Comments
Well said lol. I am curious as well and was going to literally ask for comparison purposes myself.
Knowledge is power and knowing is half the battle!
Why?? It's greater than what other electrical retailers offer including JBHifi, Harvey Norman and DSE. And these are relatively unskilled roles.
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Thanks for letting us know.
To put things into perspective: The minimum wage will become AUD$641.00 per week in 2015. Retail workers at Myer Department Stores are paid AUD$708 per week. Apple 'Geniuses' will now get AUD$750 per week. Coles Supermarket workers get AUD$780 per week. Don't forget these are before tax amounts. The Australian Government will take up to 20% of the above as tax. To rent a two bedroom apartment 3 km from Melbourne's CBD costs about AUD$500 per week. Food and clothes cost about double, plus, what they cost in the USA!
Apple Australia employees are getting ripped off. Inflation in Australia currently stands at 2.5% per annum. Low, sure, but if you are only getting a 2% pay rise per year this means the actual value of your pay is being devalued by .5% per year. Yes, you are earning yourself a yearly pay cut. Also, Sunday penalty rates which were +100% were cut to +50%. Apple Australia is not interested in 'unions', and thus they had nothing to do with new pay deal negotiations. This is a horrible deal.
If you didn't know this already, Apple, through using complex tax minimisation strategies which involved transferring profits to overseas entities, paid less than 1% tax on its Australian profits last financial year. Nothing really! Australia is Apple's second biggest market in the world, per capita, after the USA. 'Per Capita' being the operative term here.
Kudos to Apple for looking after its shareholders. Phenomenal profits are the name of the game. Cheating employees and governments is part of this game.
I am an Apple addict. However, like many in Australia nowadays I am becoming increasingly angry with dysfunctional government and greedy corporations.
In the scheme of things, Apple is an elitist company which caters to a rich elite. Yes, I consider myself part of this 'middle class' elite. In a worldwide context, few people can afford Apple products. However, in its blind quest for world domination, cutting wages and not paying taxes, Apple may be eroding the buying power of a majority of its customer base. Apple may need some lessons from Henry Ford.
I am considering boycotting Apple; or at least buying a lot less of its product. I believe if we are to become good 'world citizens' we need to buy products from 'ethical' companies. Corporations like Apple and Google are now blatantly unethical in their dealings. They have become modern day 'hydras' - unconscionable and unstoppable.
C'mon Tim Cook and Co. Do the Right Thing !!!
Amazing. I live in a city where cost of living is higher than Melbourne or Sydney, but equivalent type of wages (retail) are half of that, sometimes less. Working conditions are harder too.
I came here to see other people be impressed by how high these wages are, and was shocked to see people complain!