The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) has welcomed the announcement by Independent Member for Montgomery Casey Hiscutt MLC that he will introduce legislation to restore a local public holiday entitlement for workers in Tasmania’s Central Coast municipality.
SDA Tasmania Secretary Joel Tynan said the proposed legislation would address a longstanding inequity that has left Central Coast workers receiving fewer public holiday entitlements than workers in every other Tasmanian municipality.
“For too long, workers in Central Coast have been treated differently simply because of where they work,” Mr Tynan said.
“Retail workers, fast food workers, pharmacy employees and many others have missed out on an entitlement that workers in neighbouring communities take for granted.
“Any Tasmanian worker doing the same job should not receive fewer public holiday benefits than someone working just a few kilometres down the road.”
The SDA said the issue has created confusion for both workers and employers, with some businesses providing a local show day equivalent while others have not, resulting in inconsistent treatment across the municipality.
“Our members have raised concerns about this inequity for many years,” Mr Tynan said.
“Workers should not have to rely on the goodwill of individual employers to receive fair treatment. Clear and consistent legislation is the best way to ensure everyone understands their rights and obligations.”
“Importantly, this is not about creating an additional entitlement that no one else receives,” Mr Tynan said.
“It is about ensuring Central Coast workers have access to the same local public holiday arrangements available elsewhere in Tasmania.
“This is a sensible and practical reform that restores fairness and consistency.”
The SDA called on all members of Parliament to support the legislation and ensure Central Coast workers are no longer disadvantaged.
“Whether you work in retail, hospitality, warehousing, manufacturing or any other industry, workers deserve equal treatment under the law,” Mr Tynan said.
“We look forward to seeing this anomaly corrected and fairness restored for working people in the Central Coast municipality.”
Media Contact:
SDA Tasmania
Joel Tynan
SDA Tasmania
1300 152 851