Proposed end to Sunday penalties for hospitality workers
The Productivity Commission draft Workplace Relations Framework report, released today, recommends changes to weekend penalty rates for the hospitality, entertainment, retail, restaurant & cafe industries.
The report proposes a two-tiered penalty rate system which differentiates between skilled or essential service workers such as police, nurses and ambulance officers and those less skilled workers like waiters, waitresses and retail workers.
Other specific recommendations from the Commission include that Sunday penalty rates that are not part of overtime or shift work should be set at Saturday rates for the hospitality industry.
The report goes on to state that weekend penalty rates should be set to achieve greater consistency between the hospitality & retail industries but without the expectation of a single rate across all sectors of them.
The Commission states that weekend penalty rates for casuals in these industries should be set so that they provide neutral incentives to employ casuals over permanent employees.
The report was commissioned by Treasurer Joe Hockey and Employment Minister Eric Abetz last December and remains open for public comment until later this year.
Adam Brandt, Greens Leader, has called on PM Tony Abbott to rule out changes to penalty rates and the minimum wage after Small Business Minister Bruce Billson backed a review of penalty rates over Easter.
“Time and again, we hear Senior Ministers send different messages,” Mr Bandt said.
“The Employment Minister says he’s ‘surprised’ the Productivity Commission is reviewing penalty rates but the Small Business Minister now backs the growing attack.”
“The Prime Minister must now lead his government and Ministers by unequivocally ruling out making any changes to penalty rates and the minimum wage.”
“Penalty rates have been around for 100 years and compensate people for working unsociable hours that the majority of Australians have free.”
The ACTU has also strongly criticized proposed cuts to Sunday penalties with ACTU secretary Dave Oliver telling reporters “This is a pay cut for the thousands of Australians who work in restaurants, cafes and shops around the country."
AHD Alison Spice 4th August 2015
