Unions to continue fight for weekend penalty rates
The fight to defend penalty rates will be taken to the Federal Court by unions.
The move follows a recent decision by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) that would see the pay of already low paid restaurant and café staff reduced by 14% on Sundays.
ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver said that United Voice, the union representing the affected workers, would have the backing of both the wider union movement and the community in this important fight.
“The decision by the Fair Work Commission to carve out the most vulnerable workers and decide they are entitled to less is one that we won’t stand for,” Mr Oliver said.
“We support United Voice appealing the decision. These workers do not deserve to have their Sunday penalty rates cut.”
The FWC decision represents a major win for an employer campaign that has been waged relentlessly for years but which has intensified in recent times. There is no doubt that it will be used by employers as a platform to cut penalty rates across the board – with the full support of the Abbott Government.
That’s why it is in the interests of all workers – but especially those who rely on penalty rates to make a living wage – to support this fight.
