Liberal electorates among hardest hit by penalty rate changes   

Sydney Morning Herald
February 26, 2017

Labor hopes to neuter the Fair Work Commission's planned cut to penalty rates, by introducing legislation which would prevent its decision from taking effect.   

The Opposition will give notice to introduce the bill on Monday, with the legislation seeking to stop the commission's draft decision from coming into force, as well as ensuring penalty rates could not be cut in the future, if it results in a cut in take home pay.

The government holds a one seat majority in the lower house, meaning the legislation would likely fail, unless Labor can lure coalition MPs to cross the floor, along with support from the crossbench.

But the legislation forms part of Labor's planned attack on the government over the issue, as data reveals workers in coalition electorates will be among the hardest hit by the changes to Sunday penalty rates, with employees in some of the most marginal seats in the nation also bearing the brunt.

Based on data from the 2011 Census, Trade Minister Steve Ciobo's Gold Coast electorate of Moncrieff tops the list of retail, accommodation and food services workers, with up to 16,857 workers impacted by the change.

The electorate of Sydney, held by Labor's Tanya Plibersek comes next with 16,256 employees in those industries, with the Liberal held Queensland electorates of Leichardt and Mcpherson, with 16,208 and 14,553 workers also expected to see an impact.

Melbourne, Fadden, Dawson, Lalor, Richmond and Rankin round out the top 10, with the Townsville based seat of Herbert, which was lost to the Coalition in a cliffhanger count in the 2016 election and workers in the South Australian seat of Hindmarsh which likewise fell to Labor at the last election, also stand to feel the change.

Not all workers in the impacted industries will be impacted. The Fair Work Commission draft decision, which came after almost two years, 39 days of hearings, statements from nearly 145 witnesses and reading through 5900 submissions, will see Sunday penalty rates for full and part time retail workers cut from double time, to time and a half.

Casual retail workers will see their Sunday rates fall from 200 per cent to 175 per cent. Full and part time hospitality workers will also see a cut, from 175 per cent to 150 per cent, although casuals will see no change. Fast food full and part time workers will see rates drop from 175 per cent to 150 per cent.

Unions have estimated about 700,000 workers will see their weekly wages reduced by the changes, with most due to come into effect by 1 July.   

The government has accused Labor of hypocrisy over its attack, with Employment Minister Michaelia Cash pointing out the decision to review penalty rates was made under Mr Shorten's watch.

"He can say what he likes today about the decision, but he does need acknowledge is his role in it and the fact that it is either an independent commission or it is not," she said last week.

But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has framed the government's reaction as a choice between "big business…and ordinary workers".

"Malcolm Turnbull and his Ministers campaigned for cuts to penalty rates, and we will make him pay for that," Mr Shorten said.   

"…The Prime Minister can't even summon up a bit of sympathy for these people. As far as he's concerned they are just numbers on a spreadsheet.

"These people have bills to pay and families to support – and every single one has less money in their pocket as a result of this dreadful decision.   

"I'll be standing up for these workers in the parliament all week.

"The Prime Minister needs to do the same.

"He can join with me and protect low paid workers – or he can do nothing."

The Greens have also committed to fighting the changes, with plans to introduce legislation which would set penalty rates in law.

Parliament will resume on Monday.
Top 10 electorates

Moncrieff

Sydney

Leichhardt

Mcpherson

Melbourne

Fadden

Dawson

'Lalor

Richmond

Rankin
Marginal electorates

Herbert

Hindmarsh

Chisholm

Page

Lindsay

Eden-Monaro

Griffith

Gilmore

Melbourne Ports

BatmanLiberal electorates among hardest hit by penalty rate changes

Penalty rate changes only for specific industries - industries that rely on discretionary spending.

Well, those lib electorates deserve a hard reminder why you dont go lib.

Dnarever wrote on Feb 26^th, 2017 at 7:35am:



I live in Steve Ciobo's seat and I think the dick heads up here will still vote for him.

A more useless MP does not exist and still they keep voting for him.

John Smith wrote on Feb 26^th, 2017 at 7:38am:


I got Kev Andrews.  Trade?

To be brutally honest, shame on labor for doing this - it's nothing more than a political stunt and I doubt if their feelings are genuine.   Having said that, if it takes political intervention to stop this, shame on the coalition for not introducing it.   It's very sad for all of us if people's lives are reduced to political bargaining pawns to inflate politicians egos and ideas of self importance

stunspore wrote on Feb 26^th, 2017 at 7:48am:


anytime

Vic wrote on Feb 26^th, 2017 at 7:57am:


I doubt if their feelings are genuine


You are likely partially correct however sometimes the ends justify the means and this need to be stopped.

Labor would have won the 2016 election had the put more effort into protecting penalty rates instead of focusing so much on medicare, although they were right they could not really prove the case.

Its time wrote on Feb 26^th, 2017 at 8:08am:


Unfortunately stupidity also played a big part.