Labor to introduce penalty rates bill aimed at protecting millions of workers
It will be among the first pieces of legislation introduced by Labor in its second term of power following the 3 May federal election.
Workers can be entitled to higher pay rates when they are required to work particular hours or days, including weekends, public holidays or irregular hours. While rates can vary depending on an employee's specific award or agreement applicable to that industry, common pay rates for workers on a Sunday are double time (200 per cent) or time-and-a-half (150 per cent). A calculation of rates on the Fair Work Commission's website shows that for a casual hospitality worker, common penalties for a shift on Saturday are $40.85 per hour, while a day's work on Sunday could bring in $47.65 per hour.
Protecting penalty rates was an Albanese government election pledge.
Minister Amanda Rishworth says the bill will ensure the wages of about 2.6m workers are protected. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas Rishworth said the bill will ensure the wages of about 2.6 million modern award-reliant workers are protected. "If you rely on the modern award safety net and work weekends, public holidays, early mornings or late nights, you deserve to have your wages protected," she said. "Millions of hard-working Australians rely on penalty rates and overtime rates to keep their heads above water, which is why this bill is so critical and should receive the support of both the opposition and the Greens."
Labor's planned changes came after peak retail and business groups put forward proposals for large companies to opt out of providing penalty rates for staff in exchange for a raise on base levels of pay.
Opposition employment spokesman Tim Wilson said the coalition supported penalty rates. "We will work through the legislation to make sure we consult the businesses and those it's going to impact to get the best outcome," he told AAP. Wilson said the absence of a regulatory impact statement, which lays out the potential impacts of the proposed changes, meant consultation was even more important to ensure it would be part of the future success of the economy. The Coalition also wants to assess how the changes would interact with the Fair Work Commission, which would be required to apply the new rules in addition to the modern awards objective in making its determination.
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