FWA: Some reduction in Sunday/PH rates for some Industries

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

MP Michael McCormack equates his living away allowance (Which is paying for his Wife's Canberra Home) to penalty rates.

The New South Wales-based MP is not breaking any rules, but his defence of the spending has drawn fire given the Coalition's support for the Fair Work Commission's cuts to some Sunday penalty rates.
"I get a travel allowance, others get penalty rates – it's part of the package," he told his local newspaper, The Daily Advertiser in Wagga Wagga.

In an interview last year - after he was named by Fairfax Media as one of the MPs who use their allowance to pay off a mortgage - Mr McCormack also said politicians earned less than people in the private sector and did not deserve so much scrutiny.

Minister Michael McCormack invokes penalty rates to defend generous travel allowance

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

As said earlier in this thread, FWA didn't do any economic modelling on the impact of penalty rate cuts on the economy and the budget.

Cuts to Sunday penalty rates for low-paid workers could blow a $650 million hole in the federal government's budget bottom line.
That's the most conservative estimate of Richard Denniss, chief economist at the Australia Institute think tank, who says the cuts will lead to lost personal income tax revenue and higher welfare costs for the government.


The potential impact of the cut on pay-as-you-earn tax revenue and welfare payments was not assessed by the Fair Work Commission, and the government has released no modelling to show the likely impact on the budget.
"This omission is surprising given the government's stated focus on budget repair and the effort it has put into legislative efforts to secure reductions in welfare payments and other savings," Dr Denniss says in a report.

Penalty rate cuts could blow $650m hole in federal budget: Australia Institute

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Former RBA Governor Bernie Fraser warning against cutting penalty rates.

Mr Fraser, who was the head of Treasury for five years before serving as RBA governor from 1989 to 1996, is one of 75 prominent Australian economists and academics who have joined forces to pen an open letter deeply critical of the cut to some Sunday penalty rates.

[h=2]Cuts will undermine household incomes and growth[/h] The letter – signed by leading economists from universities, think tanks and consultancies across the country – says the decision will not deliver any meaningful boost to employment and will ultimately undermine household incomes and national economic growth.

Former RBA governor Bernie Fraser says penalty rate cut will produce inequality, not jobs

JP Morgan boss says raising the minimum wage is good for small business.

"Raising wages at the bottom will help small business.
​

"You'll attract better people, they'll be paid more, you'll probably have less attrition."

JPMorgan boss says depressing wages for low-paid workers is not good for business - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Kikki.K staff to face immediate cuts to penalty rates when Fair Work ruling comes into force.

Staff at one of Australia’s largest stationery companies, Kikki.K, will have their public holiday and Sunday penalty rates cut without any opportunity to renegotiate when the Fair Work Commission’s new ruling comes into force under a newly formed workplace deal with their employer.
Store managers at the gift and stationery chain appear to be the first employees covered by an enterprise agreement who will directly face cuts as a result of the commission’s ruling on penalty rates.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions president Ged Kearney said the agreement showed the risks to employees covered by enterprise agreements.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...te-cut-when-fair-work-ruling-comes-into-force

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Remember penalty reductions kick in this weekend.

 

[drron]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

However most big businesses were already paying less than the new Sunday rates on contracts signed off by the unions.

.

.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

However that is only one part of whatever agreement has been made. The BOOT test applies. (Well it usually applies - looking at you Coles/SDA).

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Bill Shorten to restore penalty rates.

Bill Shorten is standing firm and vowing to reverse a decision to cut Sunday penalty rates for some workers as changes come into force.
Sunday marks the first day some workers' rates will be cut following a February decision by the Fair Work Commission, affecting employees in retail, fast food, pharmac_ and hospitality.
The opposition leader used a rally in Caboolture in Queensland to repeat his pledge to reinstate penalty rates within 100 days of taking office.
"I will protect workers' take home pay and I will also reverse the tax cuts for millionaires which Malcolm Turnbull gave them yesterday," he told reporters.

Bill Shorten vows to take fight over penalty rates to election | SBS News

 

[drron]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Who was National secretary of the AWU when deals to reduce penalty rates were done-Bill Shorten.
Who was Minister for Labour when the Fair Work commission was given the power to change penalty rates-Bill Shorten.
Who was the minister responsible for appointing the Commissioners who decided the penalty rates decision-Bill Shorten.
Who benefits politically from the decision and is handed an election issue-Bill Shorten.
Who made the connection-Jenny George.

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Seven Unions are launching a Federal court bid to reverse the penalty rate cuts.

At least seven unions, including the Australian Hotels Association and United Voice, appeared in the Federal Court for an appeal.
They are fighting the Fair Work Commission's decision to slash penalty weekend and public holiday rates over the next three years.
Hospitality workers stand to lose up to $2000 a year, when the cuts are fully implemented by 2019.

Read more at Penalty rate cuts appealed as hospitality and retail workers feel the pinch

"These are workers who, without penalty rates, are on about $37,000 a year – half the average wage. They need their penalty rates to survive," Ms Walsh said.
Read more at Penalty rate cuts appealed as hospitality and retail workers feel the pinch

Pub worker John Keily works every Sunday, and predicts he will be out of pocket by about $2300 a year.
"That's a lot of money to me. It means it would probably pay my fuel bills, gas and electricity for the year," he told 9NEWS.

Read more at Penalty rate cuts appealed as hospitality and retail workers feel the pinch

 

[whatmeworry]

Re: The totally off-topic thread

Hairdressing industry now wants to trim the penalty rates of hairdressers.

If the move is successful, it will further subtract from record low wage growth in the Australian economy which is stifling consumer spending and in turn putting small business under pressure.
Liz Berry has been a hairdresser for 14 years but she told The Business program that a reduction in penalty rates would be the hardest cut.

"Buying a house is out of the question as it is because the wages are so low," she said.
​

"Mind you in 20 years' time I could go 'OK, we have enough to buy', but if they cut the penalty rates, no.
"There's no deposit, there's no holiday trip."
The mother-of-three works as a hairdresser on a casual basis on the weekends.

Hairdressers' valuable penalty rates face the chop - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[Isochronous]

The sooner penalty rates are abolished the better. Paying someone $40/h to work in a cafe on weekends is crazy.

 

[adam15]

I agree. There surely can't be much profit margin on a $5 coffee or a $10 slice of cake? Perhaps it should be like the US, $3 plus tips?

 

[wandering_fred]

Compare the price of bakery products (at the grocery) in Australia and the USA and you will begin to understand the difference in cafe pricing between the two...

Just wandering

Fred

Edit: Consider donut prices in the USA

 

[whatmeworry]

Perhaps our property bubble is part of the problem? Or do you guys/ladies prefer everybody that the rest of us, become serfs for you lords till we wait for someone to smash the wheel?

 

[cove]

I never understood how Union bosses OKed sweet overtime deals with some large employers. Coles, Woolies, Bunnings,McDonalds, David Jones and more all got a deal.
Small businesses missed out totally.

 

[drron]

Small businesses cant pay as much.

 

[Pushka]

Small businesses cant pay as much.

In SA Small businesses like cafes now close on public holidays and Sundays thanks to a deal hammered out between SDA and the big businesses in the CBD so (only) they could open on the day after Christmas and Easter.

 

[cove]

Yes it certainly is a mess for small businesses having to pay more than larger businesses. I hope it gets properly fixed sooner rather than later.

 

[JohnK]

The sooner penalty rates are abolished the better. Paying someone $40/h to work in a cafe on weekends is crazy.

But let's continue with multi million dollar bonuses to CEOs and other senior management for doing a job they are already paid to do.

P.S. I don't really care too much about penalty rates but I do care about the growing gap in salaries between senior management and the majority of the workforce.