WAGE PAYMENT SYSTEMS – AUSTRALIA

Penalty rates plan for small business

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 2 : 10-Jul-17

A report from the Institute of Public Affairs argues that the reduction in Sunday penalty rates will make small businesses more competitive against larger rivals. The report proposes changes to the industrial relations system to allow employers and workers to negotiate their own penalty rates independently of the Fair Work Commission. The IPA also suggests that new businesses could adapt existing enterprise bargaining agreements rather than having to negotiate their own workplace deals.

CORPORATES
INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Do you want a rise with that

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Original article by Lanai Scarr
The Advertiser – Page: 25 : 29-Jun-17

Modelling by the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry shows that the take-home pay of most workers in sectors such as retailing and hospitality will increase from 1 July, when Sunday penalty rates are reduced. The lower penalty rates – to be progressively phased in over three years – will be offset by a 3.3 per cent increase in the award wage rate, which also takes effect on 1 July. ACCI CEO James Pearson has urged unions to end their "deliberate" campaign of misinformation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

National crosses floor to save penalty rates

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 4 : 21-Jun-17

The Australian Labor Party’s proposed change to the Fair Work Amendment bill has been defeated by one vote in the House of Representatives. Labor had sought to use legislation to overturn the Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce weekend penalty rates for employees in the retail and hospitality sector. The Labor amendment was defeated 73-72 after Coalition backbencher George Christensen voted with the Opposition.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, LIBERAL-NATIONAL PARTY OF QUEENSLAND

Shoppies’ union faces scrutiny over wages scandal

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Original article by Ben Schneiders, Royce Millar
The Age – Page: 6 : 20-Jun-17

A Senate inquiry will investigate enterprise agreements between large retailers and the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees Association which include penalty rates that are lower than the industry award "safety net". The Federal Government, the Australian Labor Party and the Greens have supported the motion by independent senator Nick Xenophon. Meanwhile, Retail & Fast Food Workers Union secretary Josh Cullinan has called for swift action to implement amendments to the Fair Work Act proposed by Greens MP Adam Bandt that are aimed at protecting employees from similar wage deals.

CORPORATES
SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, RETAIL AND FAST FOOD WORKERS UNION, COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Penalty cuts ‘not offset by wage rises’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 9-Jun-17

ACTU secretary Sally McManus says research undertaken by the Australia Institute debunks claims that a minimum wage increase will offset Sunday penalty rate cuts. The Institute has concluded that the real value of wages earned by someone working on Sundays will decline by almost 25 per cent by June 2021. The Institute’s research was based on the assumption that inflation would increase by 2.5 per cent per annum, and that the minimum wage would rise by three per cent a year.

CORPORATES
ACTU, THE AUSTRALIA INSTITUTE LIMITED

Minimum pay hike ‘risks benefits of penalty cuts’

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 8 : 7-Jun-17

The ACTU says the 3.3 per cent increase in the minimum wage is insufficient, although employers’ groups warn that it could lead to job losses and deter businesses from hiring additional staff. The Fair Work Commission’s ruling lifts the minimum wage by $A22.20 a week to $A694.90, with president Iain Ross arguing that it is unlikely to have much adverse impact on employment. He added that this would probably not have been the case if a larger increase in the minimum wage had been approved.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, FRONTLINE HOBBIES

Big business challenge over penalty cuts

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Jun-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says the Fair Work Commission’s decision to phase in lower penalty rates will encourage small businesses to trade on Sundays and create jobs. Public holiday and Sunday penalty rates in sectors such as retailing and hospitality will be reduced over several years, a move that has been welcomed by the Business Council of Australia. However, the Australian Retailers Association argues that the full reduction in Sunday rates should have been made by mid-2018, while United Voice will seek to have the FWC decision overturned by the Federal Court.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, UNITED VOICE, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, TOURISM ACCOMMODATION AUSTRALIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Clubs industry split over penalty rates

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 9-May-17

United Voice has welcomed the decision by the RSL & Services Clubs Association of Queensland not to come under the hospitality award. The Fair Work Commission has suggested that the clubs award be scrapped and clubs be transferred to the hospitality award, so that clubs would not be at a disadvantage to hospitality employers. Such a disadvantage has been highlighted by Clubs Australia, which was unable to convince the FWC to cut penalty rates for clubs during its recent examination of rates within various sectors.

CORPORATES
UNITED VOICE, CLUBS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RSL AND SERVICES CLUBS ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND

Penalties hypocrisy storm for Bill’s bus

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 28-Apr-17

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has accused Australian Labor Party leader Bill Shorten of hypocrisy over his opposition to Sunday penalty rate cuts. Cash was commenting on revelations that several enterprise agreements negotiated for retail workers in north Queensland by the Australian Workers’ Union during Shorten’s time as its leader left staff working on Sundays worse off than under previous agreements. A spokesperson for Shorten said he had no involvement in the negotiations that led to the agreements in question.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, BIG W DISCOUNT STORES, JUST JEANS PTY LTD, RYDGES HOTELS – RESORTS, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION

Turnbull and Hanson back penalty pay cut

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 6-Mar-17

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition accepts and supports the Fair Work Commission’s decision to reduce Sunday penalty rates. He also favours reducing penalty rates over a period of time to offset the impact on after-tax pay. One Nation founder Pauline Hanson also says she supports lower penalty rates "in principle". Hanson argues that small food retailers cannot compete with big chains whose employees’ union-negotiated enterprise bargaining agreements do not include penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, McDONALD’S AUSTRALIA LIMITED