Newsagents claim they have been covertly signed up to National Retail Association

Thousands of newsagents who sell lottery tickets have discovered they have become members of the National Retail Association without their consent.

The industry body representing some 4000 newsagents has denounced the National Retail Association for allegedly forcing franchisees to become members.

In an email to its members obtained by The Australian, the Newsagents Association of NSW and the ACT accused the NRA and the ASX-listed Lottery Corporation of trashing individual freedoms and the right to the freedom of association by dragooning newsagents and sellers of lottery tickets into its grouping.

“National Retail Association and ... Lottery Corporation demonstrate how they are prepared to ignore your fundamental rights to freedom of association – their arrogance is contemptible,” the email reads. “You shouldn’t have to opt out of something you never asked or gave permission for.”

The Newsagents Association said the NRA would seek to advocate on their behalf but could be compromised in any dispute between Lottery Corp and newsagents as a senior executive of sat on the NRA board as a director.

Newsagents Association of NSW and ACT secretary Ian Booth. Picture: John Feder

The turf war was triggered this week when the NRA, which is independent of the rival Australian Retailers Association, wrote to lottery retailers welcoming them and offering them access to member services and benefits.

“The arrangements in place with The Lottery Corporation mean that these benefits are accessible at no cost to you, allowing you to access (for free) advice on a range of issues such as training, trading hours regulations, and leasing,” the NRA letter said.

“You are free to opt out if you wish and we ask that you do so within 14 days of this email.”

However, the newsagents’ association wrote: “NRA is a trade union of employers registered under the Fair Work Act and is supervised by the Registered Organisations Commission.

The agreement with the NRA was in place for several years when the lottery business was owned by Tabcorp. That lottery company has since been spun off and independently listed.

Newsagents Association secretary Ian Booth said it would be difficult for the NRA to represent the interests of lotteries franchisees and newsagents. “I don’t believe that the NRA will represent the interest of these franchisees, should they wish to make complaint against the Lottery Corp or any of its subsidiaries – because to do so would bite the hands that’s feeding them,” Mr Booth said.

The Newsagents Association of NSW and the ACT is angry its members have been signed to the National Retail Association without consultation. Picture: AAP

An NRA spokesman said it was a common arrangement for associations that the franchisor or head office would take out a corporate membership on behalf all members or licensees.

“In this sense, the NRA is no different to other major associations in retail or other industries,” the spokesman said.

“The NRA has recently written to them to ensure they are aware of the services available, and of their ability to opt out if they wish,” the spokesman told The Australian on Thursday.

With regard to a senior executive of Lottery Corp sitting on the NRA board, he said the NRA’s board members were drawn from across the industry and provided their expertise to advance the interests of the entire retail sector.

“Again, this is no different to the arrangements in every other industry association where directors put their personal interests aside for the betterment of their industry,” he said.

A spokesman for Lottery Corp said: “As a company with a large retail network, The Lottery Corporation is a member of the National Retail Association and that allows for the provision of benefits to lottery retailers that assist them in the running of their businesses.”