Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association wants a 'fair' wage rise of 5 per cent

New modelling by independent think tank Per Capital finds retail workers in Wagga contribute $3.4 million per week to the economy, adding up to well over $180 million per year.

With inflation sitting at 3.5 per cent and the Wage Price Index only up 2.3 per cent over the last year, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) says workers are struggling to survive.

SDA NSW & ACT branch secretary Bernie Smith said that 46 per cent of SDA members were concerned about the effect of high rents and house prices, future health, and liveability of their local area.

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The retail workforce makes up a bigger number of the total workforce in many regional towns, compared to city centres. Retail workers make up 7.2 per cent of the Sydney workforce, for example, compared to 10.91 per cent in Wagga.

Mr Smith said retail workers' importance to their towns should be reflected in their pay packet.

"Our members in shops and fast food were essential workers through the pandemic. They've served the community and kept turning up," he said.

"But the reality is that they can't keep up with the costs of goods they're selling themselves at the moment."

Mr Smith is calling for a "fair" pay rise of 5 per cent on July 1 this year.

"To keep up with the cost of living and also reflect the increased productivity that retail workers have given to their employers over the last few years," he said.

Retail productivity has outstripped retail wages growth by over 7 per cent over recent years, according to Mr Smith, and a pay rise would help stimulate the economy and help bring workers who left the industry during the pandemic back to retail.

"Yes the local IGA may have to spend a bit more on their wage budget, but every retail worker who goes through that IGA will have more money to spend," he said.

For the 3253 retail workers across Wagga, a 5 per cent bump in wages could be the difference between making rent or not, he said.

"Wages have failed to keep up with the rising cost of living. This puts increasing pressures on workers who need to pay for food, housing, childcare, and more," Mr Smith said. "These essential workers need a decent pay rise on 1 July."

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