Union leads $150m class action against Aldi

National union SDA has lodged a $150 million class action lawsuit against supermarket giant Aldi, potentially impacting about 1,800 workers in Western Australia.

The Shop Distributive & Allied Employees Association, known as SDA, is alledging that Aldi underpaid supermarket and distribution centre workers across the country over a 6-year period. 

The union is claiming that ALDI “deliberately” and “systematically” required its staff to work unpaid before and after their shifts. 

SDA said the workers spent up to 30 minutes before and after their shifts completing tasks including till changes, cashing up the registers, performing safety checks, emptying bins and checking communication devices.

The German supermarket chain has 52 stores in Western Australia employing about 1,800 workers that could be eligible for about $7,500 each in compensation, SDA estimates.

The union said it's pursuing the $150 million class action to seek compensation for more than 20,000 current and former workers.

The legal action was filed with the Federal Court this morning and SDA is being represented by Melbourne firm A J Macken & Co.

SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer said they were alleging that workers across ALDI had been overworked and underpaid on a regular basis.

“Over $100 million has been ripped out of the pockets of workers and their families by this multi-billion-dollar corporation,” he said.

“Aldi has had its chance to do the right thing and backpay workers after they lost the Federal Court case in NSW.

“They’ve fumbled the bag and failed to do it right by their workforce, now they have to face the consequences of these breaches.”

It comes after SDA took Aldi to the Federal Court last year concerning allegations one of the NSW distribution centres underpaid its employees.

Aldi has been contacted for comment.