Penalty rate cut tipped to boost jobs
Give Where You Live Foundation chief executive Bill Mithen said coming along to one of the pop-up soup kitchens was an easy way for locals to become involved and help Feed Geelong.
“Food insecurity in our community is at crisis point, with approximately 1000 meals a day being provided to those most in need BUSINESS operators will have more freedom to employ extra staff due to penalty rate changes, the Geelong Chamber of Commerce says.
Sunday pay rates for supermarket and other retail workers were cut this week from 200 per cent to 150 per cent of the standard rate following a Fair Work Commission decision earlier this year.
Pay rates in hospitality will be cut from 175 per cent of their standard wage to 150 per cent. Public holiday rates will fall from 250 per cent to 225 per cent.
Geelong Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bernadette Uzelac said her organisation supported any measures that removed unnecessary barriers to doing business.
“The introduction of new weekend penalty rates on July 1 every day,” Mr Mithen said.
Feed Geelong is an initiative of the Give Where You Live Foundation that provides grants and support to assist our community’s emergency food relief system.
So far this year, the Feed Geelong initiative has raised $51,905 to fight food insecurity in the region.
– NICHOLAS PAYNE will give Geelong businesses greater certainty towards future planning for their businesses, especially around hiring of staff and operations,” Ms Uzelac said.
“Figures from the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide show that some employees will actually start to be paid more through the annual award wage increase.”
Geelong Trades Council secretary Colin Vernon said there was widespread oppo- sition to the penalty rate cuts.
“The workers who will suffer the most are those that can afford these cuts the least,” Mr Vernon said. “Teenagers working late nights at fast food joints, people working long hours in supermarkets just to make ends meet.
“The feedback we’ve received across Geelong is one of outrage and the Federal Government will know all about that anger at the next election.”