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As the federal government moves against a bid by major retailers to allow some staff to opt out of penalty rates, Workplace Minister Murray Watt says he wouldn’t stand by while some of the biggest businesses in the country tried to slash rates.
The Australian Retailers Association, with the support of Coles, Woolworths, Kmart and Costco, have submitted their proposal to the Fair Work Commission, suggesting that employees earning between $53,670 and $61,958 should have the option to accept a 25 per cent pay rise if they forego penalty rates, overtime, some allowances and rostering arrangements.
“I have noticed that the retailers have tried to portray this as being about managers in their stores. We need to remember that we’re talking about people who are earning as little as $54,000 a year,” Watt told ABC News Breakfast.
Coles and Woolworths are among the businesses backing the push.Credit: Getty
“Beyond that, there’s a principle here which is: weekends matter… and the people who feed us and clothe us on weekends deserve to be rewarded for that.”
The government is filing a submission to the commission’s review of the General Retail Industry Award, opposing the push.
Watt explained that the government’s position was that penalty rate trade-offs, which were not uncommon in workplaces, should be negotiated in enterprise bargaining agreements, not by variations in the award.
“What we’re talking about here is an attempt by big business to change the minimum safety net, the award provisions, the safety floor that is supposed to provide minimum rates and conditions for workers,” Watt said.
Watt also said there were concerns that if the retail award was changed, it could more easily flow onto other sectors like hospitality and healthcare.
