Yesterday, the Fair Work Commission announced that it would slash Sunday penalty rates the retail, hospitality, fast food and pharmacy sectors. Do you think it’s fair?
After spending 39 days hearing evidence from 143 witnesses and receiving 5900 submissions, the Commission decided that Sunday rates would be a thing of the past.
Rates for retail, fast food and some hospitality industries will be cut by around 25 to 50 per cent, hitting full-time workers the hardest.
Business groups have welcomed the cuts, with major retailers such as JB Hi-Fi and Myer among the most to benefit from the cuts.
Full-time retail workers will see their Sunday pay rates cut from double time to time-and-a-half, while casual retail workers will have their rates reduced from double time to time-and-three-quarters.
Hospitality workers will have their rates cut from 175 per cent to 150 per cent, and fast-food workers will also receive a 25 per cent cut, from time-and-a-half to time-and-a-quarter. Casual hospitality workers’ pay will not change.
Sunday rates for restaurant workers and licensed clubs will remain unchanged.
Pharmacy employees who work between 7am and 9pm will cop a 50 per cent cut, from double time to time-and-a-half, with casual pharmacy workers receiving 25 per cent off their Sunday pay rate.
Most of these pay cuts begin in July 2017, with some phased in over time.
What do you think of the Sunday pay cuts? How does this affect the weekend worker? Will you be affected by the pay cuts?
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