The SDA welcomes the passage of the Albanese Government’s bill to protect penalty rates for Australian workers through Federal Parliament in August.
This legislation means that the penalty and overtime rates SDA members earn on weekends, public holidays, evenings and overnight are now protected under the Fair Work Act.
Penalty rates are fair compensation for working unsociable hours and for giving up time with their family and loved ones. For so many workers, penalty rates aren’t a bonus, they’re a necessity to keep up with bills, rent and the cost of living.
This will safeguard these rates and ensure that they cannot be varied or reduced to leave workers worse off.
This has passed amid the Australian Retailers Association’s attempts to reduce salaried retail workers’ penalty rates and other retail conditions.
The ARA is attempting to radically cut salaried workers’ pay and exchange penalty rates, overtime and other entitlements for a flat 25% loading on top of the Award rate of pay.
Salaried retail workers would lose up to $5,000 a year in penalty rates and other entitlements.
This legislation puts a stop to these unfair and sweeping changes to salaried workers’ penalty rates under the Retail Award.
Any detrimental changes to the Award would have negative consequences when it comes to negotiating new Enterprise Agreements.
This was an election commitment by the Albanese Government and it’s great to see the Government deliver this in a timely manner.
The SDA will always stand up against attempts to cut retail, fast food and warehouse workers’ pay and wipe out crucial entitlements from the Awards.