Fair Work Commission cuts penalty rates

[Prefectionist]

New penalty rates for workers on weekends and public holidays.


FAST FOOD INDUSTRY:

* Full time / part time staff: rates to drop from 150% of base rate to 125%

* Casuals will drop from 175% of the base rate to 150%

HOSPITALITY:

* Full time and part time workers will see Sunday rates reduced from 175% to 150%

* Casuals will stick to 175% of the base rate

RETAIL:

* Full time and part time workers’ Sunday rates to drop from 200% to 150%

* Casuals’ penalty rates will drop from 200% to 175%

* Full time and part time workers will see public holiday rates drop from 225% to 200%, while casuals will remain at 250%.

Cheers to them.

[Ryanoceros]

What a fucking disaster.

[Aufitt]

Cool,
Shops might not all close at 11.59 on Saturday morning.

[Geoffrey Reynolds]

I can understand people are going to be pissed, especially those in the industry. This could be a positive move, unemployment is high and for a business owner to be able to free up some money that could lead to further employment or full-time workers as apposed to Part-Time and casual staff . Again it really does suck for those industry workers who generally are payed quite low but in the scheme of things it could be whats needed. Burn a business to the ground and no one has a job.

[chew]

Cool,
Shops might not all close at 11.59 on Saturday morning.

Sorry, Sundays and Public Holidays only.

So we can expect a drop in the unemployment rate then as the wage cut will allow business to boom and employ more people who can live in shoe boxes in Ellenbrook and hitch hike to work.

I also suspect that it may encourage more businesses to open on Sundays, you know the Courts, Government buildings, accountants, engineers etc.

[Prefectionist]

This could be a positive move, unemployment is high and for a business owner to be able to free up some money that could lead to further employment or full-time workers as apposed to Part-Time and casual staff.

Or the likely scenario where the businesses go "Well we were operating just fine with current staff levels before, but now we get to spend less money doing it" and then pocket the difference.

[Geoffrey Reynolds]

Or the likely scenario where the businesses go "Well we were operating just fine with current staff levels before, but now we get to spend less money doing it" and then pocket the difference.

But to be honest, thats business, you don't over employ. You want to run a company as lean as possible to be competitive. I can see where your coming from though don't get me wrong, I guess in a perfect world you would share the profit or increase salary but greed is a hell of a thing.

[chew]

That is the case they have been arguing though, "We will employ more people, it will make Perth a booming metropolis of cosmopolitan delights", not "We will pocket the extra $$$'s.

So it is false pretence.

[Tim the PM]

As most know, I've been described as leaning slightly to the right at times, but this is the final nail in the liberal coffin for me. The people this will impact are those already struggling to survive.

I know this isn't a state issue but I hope it will sway the fence sitters (which includes me at the moment as I'm choosing the least worst option...) against the Libs. Almost anything (except the Greens) would be better than ending up with Harvey as Premier.

[chew]

As most know, I've been described as leaning slightly to the right at times, but this is the final nail in the liberal coffin for me. The people this will impact are those already struggling to survive.

I know this isn't a state issue but I hope it will sway the fence sitters (which includes me at the moment as I'm choosing the least worst option...) against the Libs. Almost anything (except the Greens) would be better than ending up with Harvey as Premier.

You are a hard man to turn your back on this;

[Tim the PM]

You are a hard man to turn your back on this;

All jokes aside I hold her and her cronies personally responsible for many deaths on the roads which could easily be avoided if they focussed on road safety instead of blatant revenue raising. I really hope the bitch loses her seat in March!

[chew]

So, if we go by the Federal ministers advice, bail out of retail and hospitality and get on one of the highly paid jobs the feds are creating or get onto the political gravy train and buy a couple of houses, then let the taxpayer subsidise the payments.

Easy, what is everyone whinging about?

[Benzo]

The people this will impact are those already struggling to survive.

The people this will impact are those already struggling to survive.

The people this will impact are those already struggling to survive.

This.

Hospitality, food service & retail staff are amongst the lowest-paid workers in Australia. They mostly make enough to live week to week, pay to pay. It is absurd, cruel and (unfortunately) easier for the government to take money from them rather than address the other issues which make it prohibitively expensive to operate a business. High rents and taxes spring to mind. Big business not paying taxes spring to mind. Nope, attack those least able to defend themselves and who can't easily "just find another job" or "choose not to work Sundays".

- You can't contact any member of parliament on a Saturday night or Sunday.
- You can't go to the bank or post office on a Saturday night or Sunday.
- Good luck seeing a doctor on a weekend.
- Your friends and family likely don't have weddings or family events on a weekday.

Wage growth is at its *lowest* in 25 years; THAT is the real threat to the economy. Taking money out of the pockets of already low-income workers who can least afford it doesn't solve anything.

The median income in Perth is around $68K. If you make less than this (which includes pretty much every worker affected by these changes), you sure as fuck should not be taking a pay cut.

[Barfridge]

Creating a class of working poor always pays off so well, just look at America.

Fucktards! I'm sick of the war on the poor that is going on, inequality is growing, trickle down economics is a sham, the rich are getting richer.

[rubin]

Creating a class of working poor always pays off so well, just look at America.

Fucktards! I'm sick of the war on the poor that is going on, inequality is growing, trickle down economics is a sham, the rich are getting richer.

give it a few years, then we'll have the Purge:

[El Skitzo]

I know working for a retail company, that in this current tough economy we have been forced recently to start closing some of our stores on Sundays that were previously open on Sundays, and we're eying off more. With Sundays being the most expensive day of the week for us to operate, we've had no choice when sales are falling and costs are so high.

Unfortunately closing a store on a Sunday means less shifts for the staff in involved and less take home pay overall. Will these pay rate changes mean things will change for us? it's too early for me to say definitively, but it definitely means we will revaluate and maybe hold off on changing opening hours on some of our stores.

Does this mean our company and the big boss rakes in more profit? Definitely not!! It means hopefully being able to keep people employed and with hopefully more hours than might have otherwise been the case.

[Benzo]

With Sundays being the most expensive day of the week for us to operate, we've had no choice when sales are falling and costs are so high.

Perhaps the government could give your business the same tax breaks and incentives they give to big business.

Perhaps your real estate company could reevaluate the rent they charge. Perhaps the government could stop taxing your real estate company the amount they do.

Perhaps your suppliers could reevaluate their prices to you and your stock par levels. Perhaps the government could stop taxing your suppliers the amount they do.

Or perhaps the government could take the easiest option and attack your most vulnerable staff, who can least afford it, with pay cuts.

[Crim]

Best way to make yourself heard?

Always vote in elections & always put the Liberals last.

After all it's only fair, they always put your welfare last, for them it's all about looking after themselves & the big end of town, most of whom pay little or no tax.

[Joe Shabadoo]

I'm afraid I have never understood why the notional sat/sun weekend is held on such a pedestal that one is doubly compensated. even many moons ago when studying, I used to love weekend casual shifts and night shifts as I was paid much more.
Workers still are.

I actually found it easier shifting my weekend to be tue/wed/thurs.. everything was open, less busy. the only sacrifice was not being out on pingers fri/sat night. arguably that was for the best.

explain why people are so hard done by? retailers are making razor thin margins now, and there is no 'sunday tax' on products...

i no longer do that.. i work about 12 hours a day, 7 days a week

[Speed Dealer]

unemployment is high and for a business owner to be able to free up some money that could lead to further employment or full-time workers as apposed to Part-Time and casual staff .

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA you funny guy!

You're dreaming. Businesses will just pocket the savings.