Hospitality workers underpaid $1.2m

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 25-Jun-15

Data from the Fair Work Ombudsman shows that 2,752 restaurant and cafe employees were not paid their full wage entitlements in 2012-13. It is estimated that they were collectively underpaid some $A1.215m. Penalty rates for working on weekends accounted for 17 per cent of the underpayments. Restaurant & Catering Australia CEO John Hart says the report has coincided with the upcoming deadline for employers to make final submissions to the Fair Work Commission on penalty rates.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, ACTU, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Mixed bag for Easter retailers

Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 7-Apr-15

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman notes that some retailers in Sydney chose to trade on 6 April 2015, despite the public holiday. Restaurateur Mark Scanlan opened one of his three Sydney restaurants on Easter Monday. He has described penalty rates for working on public holidays as "prohibitive", and has called for workplace law reform

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION, GARFISH, SHOP, DISTRIBUTIVE AND ALLIED EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED

Radical plan for tourism

Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 30-Oct-14

Senator David Leyonhjelm has proposed a number of measures to stimulate growth in Australia’s tourism sector. He would like the age limit on working holiday visas to be raised or removed. Holiday-makers who work in tourism jobs should be able to extend their visas by 12 months. He believes that people employed in restaurants should not be paid more when they work on a Saturday or Sunday

CORPORATES
RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Appeal lost on Sunday rates

Original article by Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 27-Aug-14

The Federal Court of Australia has rejected a bid to overturn the Fair Work Commission’s ruling that penalty rates for hospitality workers should be reduced. The appeal was lodged by the United Voice union, after the Restaurant & Catering Association of Victoria and Australian Business Industrial succeeded in a bid to have Sunday penalty rates reduced. Many restaurant and cafe owners do not open on weekends due to high penalty rates

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA, RESTAURANT AND CATERING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA INCORPORATED, UNITED VOICE, AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS INDUSTRIAL, GARFISH, NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED