Malcolm Turnbull’s penalty rate cut cannot be moderated or transitioned – it must be stopped completely.

The submission Labor has made today to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) shows there are no acceptable “transition” arrangements and the decision must be set aside entirely.

These are Malcolm Turnbull’s cuts: he supports them, he could stop them if he wanted. Up to 700,000 Australians will lose up to $77 a week because of Malcolm Turnbull’s cuts.

Labor is completely opposed to any cuts to penalty rates. Any transition arrangements will still leave current and future workers in these industries worse off.

Millions of workers who rely on weekend penalty rates risk having their pay cut as employers continue to apply for penalty rates to be reduced across a range of other sectors.

Which is why Labor has also made submissions to the FWC today opposing:

• The proposal that the Restaurant Industry should get a second chance to convince the FWC to cut the penalty rates of 143,975 workers under their award;
• Extending these devastating cuts to the 96,370 workers under the Clubs Award; and
• Any move to review and cut penalty rates for the 84,400 worker in the hairdressing and beauty industry.

The fact that the Commission is continuing to review other awards is further proof that the first round of penalty rates is just the thin edge of the wedge of a broader assault on the take-home pay of Australian workers.

Labor knows that for these workers weekend penalty rates are not a luxury, they are what pay the bills and puts food on the table.  

Labor supports the weekend penalty rates Australian workers rely on and will oppose Mr Turnbull's attempts to cut them all the way in the Commission, in the Parliament and with you in the community.   

Inequality is at a 75 year high and wages growth is at record lows – yet Malcolm Turnbull is doing everything he can to give big business a $50 billion tax cut and doing nothing to stop a pay cut for 700,000 workers.

If the Prime Minister truly cared about protecting workers he could support Labor’s Bill in the Parliament, which will stop his cuts to penalty rates and protect the take-home pay for people who rely on penalty rates into the future.   

Labor’s submission makes clear what the community already knows – only Labor will stand up for workers from attacks on penalty rates.

SATURDAY, 25 MARCH 2017