Penalty rates protest
by Leon Gettler
Restaurant and pub owners expecting a smooth transition to reduced penalty rate should think again.
Penalty rates will be a key issue in the up and coming election and the Labor Party will target the government over any moves to change them.
There was a taste of things to come this week when Queanbeyan shift workers and union members protested plans to change penalty rates outside Eden-Monaro MP Peter Hendy's office on Wednesday morning.
It’s been part of a series of protests outside the Queanbeyan office in response to the Productivity Commission's final report into Australia's workplace relations system released in December recommended the lowering of Sunday penalty rates for hospitality workers.
The protests also coincide with the Fair Work Commission receiving more than 6000 submissions to its review of hospitality and retail penalty rates. The commission is expected hand down its decision in the middle of the federal election campaign if the government calls a double dissolution.
Scarred by the 2007 WorkChoices campaign, Government ministers, have been stressing the productivity commission is independent of the Government.
The protesters, led by United Voice ACT secretary Lyndal Ryan, said any cuts to weekend penalty rates would hurt people’s weekly budgets and inevitably, the local community.
The union has been citing 2015 research by the McKell Institute which found that found that reducing penalty rates would likely damage the emotional wellbeing and security of workers
"It is estimated that retail and hospitality workers in rural Australia would lose between $370 million and $1.55 billion each year, depending on the extent of the cut to penalty rates and the level of local ownership of the retail stores," the McKell report said.
The union has also been using polling which has shown that eight in 10 Canberrans support penalty rates.
And in an election year, it’s polls like that which will exercise the minds of politicians.
11th March 2016
