RETAIL staff at Southland Shopping Centre have taken to the street in front of the shopping complex to protest against being charged up to $1300 annually to park a car while working in shops.
More than 100 people turned up on Monday morning (16 October) on the Nepean Highway outside the Cheltenham shopping centre to demand Westfield provide free parking for retail workers.
Shopping centres operator Westfield introduced paid parking for shoppers staying more than three hours at Southland on 16 October.
The parking fees have been brought in to discourage commuters travelling from the new Southland train station to be opened by the end of the year from parking all day at Southland Shopping Centre.
Shop staff are unhappy they will be forced to pay for parking when rostered to work for more than three hours on a shift.
The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association union backs the workers’ call to not be financially penalised for turning up to work, slamming “greedy global conglomerate” Westfield for “slapping” workers with parking fees.
“The $5 a day fee will slash up to $1300 a year from many of our members’ income,” SDA Victoria secretary Michael Donovan said.
“It’s a cost they can’t afford and don’t deserve. What’s next? Charge a gold coin to go to the toilet while at work?”
Mr Donovan said the parking fees are “a double blow” for retail workers at Southland since a Fair Work Commission decision made in August will cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for many hospitality, retail and fast food award wage staff.
Mordialloc Labor MP Tim Richardson attended Monday’s protest and said low-paid workers deserved “a fair go” from Westfield.
The state MP has gathered more than 7400 signatures asking Westfield to drop parking fees for Southland shop staff.
“Many workers simply can’t afford it [but] have no other option than to drive to work,” Mr Richardson said.
“So how about a fair go for Southland workers [with] no paid parking?”
Scentre Group, owner of Westfield shopping centres across Australia, said the staff parking fee system is also in place at the group’s Doncaster shopping centre.
“To ensure parking spaces are available for customers and prevent anticipated pressure on the carpark due to the opening of the new train station, controlled ticketless parking will be introduced at Westfield Southland”, Scentre Group corporate affairs head Julia Clarke said in a statement.
“The vast majority of shoppers will continue parking for free with a three-hour free parking period”.
“There will be designated staff parking areas, with staff who elect to park at the centre receiving a flat parking rate of $5 per day, or $3 for four-and-a-half hours”.
Shoppers who park for more than three hours at Southland Shopping Centre will pay a sliding scale of fees up to a maximum of $15 for a 7-8 hour stay.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 18 October 2017
