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Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid (Read 2091 times)
whiteknight
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Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Mar 14th, 2018 at 5:48am
 
Retailers demand zero pay rise for Australia's lowest paid workers   Sad

Sydney Morning Herald
13 March 2018

   

One of Australia's top retail industry groups wants the country's lowest-paid workers to be denied any pay rise this year.   Angry   

In an extraordinary submission to the workplace umpire, the National Retail Association - one of the nation's major retail industry organisations - has called for a 0 per cent increase to the minimum wage on July 1.   Sad 

While most industry groups have recommended an increase at or near the current inflation rate of 1.9 per cent - which would translate into a modest $13-a-week increase - the Retail Association has called on the Fair Work Commission to give "full and genuine consideration" to withholding an increase altogether.


The national minimum wage affects the pay rates of up to 2.3 million Australians, many of them working in retail.

"Retail is currently undergoing a challenging period throughout the country," the group's submission says.


"Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the sector suffered a 0.5 per cent fall during the traditionally busy month of December and the figures for January 2018 again highlighted poor sales growth.



The Australian Council of Trade Unions has launched a campaign to increase minimum wage.

"During environments such as these, it is vital that retail businesses do not have conditions imposed on them that make it more difficult to operate."

The Retail Association says it is "highly likely" that a recent decision to grant an overtime entitlement to casual employees had resulted in "inefficiencies in the allocation of labour" that had led to a "hidden increase in the average wage".

The organisation did note however that "a very small minority of National Retail Association members have expressed the view that an increase in wages will positively affect productivity".

The union movement - which has called for a 7.2 per cent increase of $50 a week - called the Retail Association's submission "completely out of touch".


“Retail workers are already struggling with historically low wage growth, cuts to their penalty rates and insecure work. They urgently need a pay rise, not a pay cut," said Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association national secretary Gerard Dwyer. “If Australian retailers want to improve business, they should be calling for wages increases, not cuts.”

Labor's Brendan O'Connor said the association's position was "appalling". 

"This sector should understand better than any that falling wages affects consumption which will hurt the economy and hurt job prospects. It is a short sighted and callous submission that should find no support from any quarter including the Turnbull government,” he said.   Sad

Another peak group for the $310 billion retail industry, the Australian Retailers Association, recommended a 1.9 per cent increase - a $13.20 per week rise that would take the national minimum wage to $708.10.

It says such an increase would be "realistic and reasonable", taking into account the slowly-improving economy, current and imminent wage bill increases for industries undergoing structural adjustment, and underemployment. The commission's recent wage decisions had been "generous", it said.

"We ask the panel to consider high national minimum wage increases over recent years as
compensation that the economy, employment levels and businesses can no longer afford."

The commission last year awarded a 3.3 per cent increase of $22. The ACTU had asked for a $45-a-week increase, while business groups had asked for between $8 and $10. The Retail Association asked for a 1.2 per cent increase for 2016/17.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also recommended an increase "not exceeding 1.9 per cent" this year.

"This is higher than the increase we recommended last year, acknowledging that key
economic indicators, when national aggregate data is considered, suggest signs of
improvement in the economy and labour market relative to last year," the organisation said in its submission.

"However we are also cognisant that these improvements in the economy and labour market are not consistent across all regions, states, territories and industries."

The ACTU's record claim - which would increase the full-time minimum wage to $744.90 a week - drew the ire of Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox, who said it had been "plucked out of the air".


"The claim is nearly four times the current rate of inflation. If accepted by the Fair Work Commission, the claim would destroy jobs and harm low-paid workers," he said.

About 200,000 Australians are paid the minimum wage directly but it affects pay rates for a further 2 million award-reliant workers. The Fair Work Commission will deliver its decision by June.

   
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RightSaidFred
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #1 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 7:04am
 
Makes sense especially in clothing online purchases went up 38% last year while off line went backwards. Adding extra cost to the offline will mean less jobs.

But again this is non event in the overall economy.

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Gnads
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #2 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 7:51am
 
You have to ask, besides not having to leave home, why people are shopping online?

I believe it's because our retailers are marking up the same cheap charlie chinese/Indian/Bangladeshi clothing by 3 & 4 hundred percent or more.

Our electrical retailers are worse.

The labour costs should be low if their business model is a good one.

None of them ever want to give staff a pay rise .... it only ever comes about when it is mandated by the Fair Work Commission.

And on the rare occasions that does happen they are always kicking & screaming howling doom & gloom.

Some of our lowest paid haven't had a pay rise in over 7 years.

And they are expected to cop all the increases in retail prices that are put upon them to live & eat as retail consumers.
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #3 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:26am
 
RightSaidFred wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 7:04am:
Makes sense especially in clothing online purchases went up 38% last year while off line went backwards. Adding extra cost to the offline will mean less jobs.

But again this is non event in the overall economy.




' ............  clothing online purchases went up 38% last year while off line went backwards. .......... '

interesting.

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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #4 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:34am
 
Gnads wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 7:51am:
You have to ask, besides not having to leave home, why people are shopping online?

I believe it's because our retailers are marking up the same cheap charlie chinese/Indian/Bangladeshi clothing by 3 & 4 hundred percent or more.

Our electrical retailers are worse.

The labour costs should be low if their business model is a good one.

None of them ever want to give staff a pay rise .... it only ever comes about when it is mandated by the Fair Work Commission.

And on the rare occasions that does happen they are always kicking & screaming howling doom & gloom.

Some of our lowest paid haven't had a pay rise in over 7 years.

And they are expected to cop all the increases in retail prices that are put upon them to live & eat as retail consumers.


Retailing is for many the traditional first job only a minority would stay at the lowest level or in the industry at all. Unfortunately for the low skill less motivate people this is an industry under stress the biggest competition is online. Its such a small part of the employment market that draws way too much media attention.

For me its not so much the savings its the time, for me shopping is not therapy.
Often when you go to a store they don't have the item in stock.
Online is Superior in most was except instant gratification.
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #5 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:42am
 
Sprintcyclist wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:26am:
RightSaidFred wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 7:04am:
Makes sense especially in clothing online purchases went up 38% last year while off line went backwards. Adding extra cost to the offline will mean less jobs.

But again this is non event in the overall economy.




' ............  clothing online purchases went up 38% last year while off line went backwards. .......... '

interesting.



Its innovation there is an explosion of both home based and businesses without store fronts. Down the road from me they have a large number of wholesale businesses, they often open up to the public, prefer to shop there better prices and often better service then you get from a big brand store hiring people on minimum wages.

If you are looking for a career in selling working for one of these would probable have better long term prospects. I do it as a hobby. I know a guy who has 800k worth of abandoned fashion stock from a previous tenant..... I have offered to take away a few pallets for a reasonable amount and sell them on ebay.
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #6 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:45am
 

Small part of the employment market?

Retail makes up 11% of the market.

Health Care and Social Services is the only group with a higher percentage (around 13%).

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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #7 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:50am
 
greggerypeccary wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:45am:
Small part of the employment market?

Retail makes up 11% of the market.

Health Care and Social Services is the only group with a higher percentage (around 13%).



No people on minimum wages you are thick
You Elitist Cock Captain
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #8 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:19am
 
RightSaidFred wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:50am:
greggerypeccary wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:45am:
Small part of the employment market?

Retail makes up 11% of the market.

Health Care and Social Services is the only group with a higher percentage (around 13%).



No people on minimum wages you are thick
You Elitist Cock Captain


That's not what you said, though.

You specifically singled out retail employees.

Try harder in the future, please.
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #9 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:52am
 


But isn't this the labor/green dream, no mining, no construction, no manufacturing, tourism, retail and entry level services positions all on minimum wage is what they want for all of us.

Every time those socialist clowns harp on about the 65 000 tourism jobs support by the GBR, that is 65 000 people on minimum wage barely able to pay their bills.

No-one wants to to do these sh1t jobs, mainly because poverty in never an aspirational goal for anyone, so you can thank one bill shorten for doing his best to make these the only jobs left.




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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #10 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 10:08am
 
BigOl64 wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:52am:
But isn't this the labor/green dream, no mining, no construction, no manufacturing, tourism, retail and entry level services positions all on minimum wage is what they want for all of us.

Every time those socialist clowns harp on about the 65 000 tourism jobs support by the GBR, that is 65 000 people on minimum wage barely able to pay their bills.

No-one wants to to do these sh1t jobs, mainly because poverty in never an aspirational goal for anyone, so you can thank one bill shorten for doing his best to make these the only jobs left.






Its not the "labor/green" dream its the government dream. All the parties seem to want to make the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Spot
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RightSaidFred
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #11 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 11:20am
 
greggerypeccary wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:19am:
RightSaidFred wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:50am:
greggerypeccary wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 8:45am:
Small part of the employment market?

Retail makes up 11% of the market.

Health Care and Social Services is the only group with a higher percentage (around 13%).



No people on minimum wages you are thick
You Elitist Cock Captain


That's not what you said, though.

You specifically singled out retail employees.

Try harder in the future, please.


The thread is about people on minimum wages I know context is hard for you
You Pompous Cock Goblin
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #12 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 11:22am
 
Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 10:08am:
BigOl64 wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:52am:
But isn't this the labor/green dream, no mining, no construction, no manufacturing, tourism, retail and entry level services positions all on minimum wage is what they want for all of us.

Every time those socialist clowns harp on about the 65 000 tourism jobs support by the GBR, that is 65 000 people on minimum wage barely able to pay their bills.

No-one wants to to do these sh1t jobs, mainly because poverty in never an aspirational goal for anyone, so you can thank one bill shorten for doing his best to make these the only jobs left.






Its not the "labor/green" dream its the government dream. All the parties seem to want to make the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Spot


No this is about industry sustainability the quicker way to make them poorer would be to double the minimum wage so half of them would have to go on the dole.
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #13 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 11:26am
 
BigOl64 wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:52am:
But isn't this the labor/green dream, no mining, no construction, no manufacturing, tourism, retail and entry level services positions all on minimum wage is what they want for all of us.

Every time those socialist clowns harp on about the 65 000 tourism jobs support by the GBR, that is 65 000 people on minimum wage barely able to pay their bills.

No-one wants to to do these sh1t jobs, mainly because poverty in never an aspirational goal for anyone, so you can thank one bill shorten for doing his best to make these the only jobs left.



They are dull jobs for unqualified people, many doing them are also attending uni or other ...... there would be a smaller % which it would be a job for life.

Either way arbitrarily raising the minimum wage just ads costs and may impact employment growth. It has to be done in a sustainable way !
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Re: Retailers Demand Zero Pay Rise For Lowest Paid
Reply #14 - Mar 14th, 2018 at 12:02pm
 
Sir Spot of Borg wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 10:08am:
BigOl64 wrote on Mar 14th, 2018 at 9:52am:
But isn't this the labor/green dream, no mining, no construction, no manufacturing, tourism, retail and entry level services positions all on minimum wage is what they want for all of us.

Every time those socialist clowns harp on about the 65 000 tourism jobs support by the GBR, that is 65 000 people on minimum wage barely able to pay their bills.

No-one wants to to do these sh1t jobs, mainly because poverty in never an aspirational goal for anyone, so you can thank one bill shorten for doing his best to make these the only jobs left.






Its not the "labor/green" dream its the government dream. All the parties seem to want to make the poor poorer and the rich richer.

Spot



I think you'll find it is the labor / green coalition that demands sh1t tourism jobs be prioritised over proper jobs. They will actively destroy good mining jobs to make sure that these sh1t tourism jobs are maintained.

No-one wants these types of povo jobs, but soon that is all there will be left for us.


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