Woolworths workers voted to accept a new enterprise bargaining agreement on June 19, which was supported by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees鈥 Association (SDA).
The agreement, to last four years, covers 120,000 workers at Woolworths supermarkets, metros and packing centres.
About 100,000 workers (76%) voted, making it one of the largest votes in history.
The deal proposes a base rate of $26.07 an hour, just 41垄 above the minimum award rate. It also cut conditions.
While 62% voted 鈥淵es鈥, 38% voted 鈥淣o鈥.
The Retail and Fast Food Workers鈥 Union (RAFFWU) campaigned for a 鈥淣o鈥 vote and called for living wages and better conditions. It said this was 鈥渢he largest ever 鈥楴o鈥 vote on a proposed agreement in Australian history鈥.
Josh Cullinan, RAFFWU secretary, described the No vote as a 鈥渟eismic rejection of the deal by over 35,000 informed and concerned workers鈥.
It is a significant rise on the previous vote, in 2018, when 6.5% of workers voted 鈥淣o鈥.
"Woolworths refused to explain the pay cuts that would be inflicted on some workers,鈥 Cullinan said. 鈥淢any workers were misled about the terms, or who could vote.鈥
He said Woolworths had 鈥渢orn up鈥 information about the deal and offered some workers gift cards to encourage them to vote Yes.
鈥淲e have workers who claim they couldn鈥檛 vote because someone had voted for them without their knowledge,鈥 Cullinan said.
The agreement now goes to the Fair Work Commission for approval before it comes into effect on July 1.
RAFFWU said it will contest the proposed enterprise agreement 鈥渙n the basis it leaves workers worse off than the minimum Award, workers were misled about the agreement and there are serious discrepancies with the vote process鈥.
鈥淲e just want a fair deal with living wages, safer workplaces and secure jobs,鈥 Cullinan said. 鈥淭his sell-out deal is none of that.鈥