Australian Federal election 2019: Penalty rate cuts: how much is it costing Gold Coast workers in lost wages

Penalty rate cuts put in place by the Morrison Government are costing Gold Coast workers in the hospitality and retail industries more than $26 million a year, according to Labor.

PENALTY rate cuts are costing Gold Coast workers in the hospitality and retail industries more than $26 million, according to Labor.

In a ten day period from Good Friday, Coast fast food workers have lost more than $218 in wages, hospitality employees about $281, those in restaurants $225 and retail staff more than $276.

The worst impacted by the cut to penalty rates are pharmacy workers who have $370 less in their take home pay.

On the Coast, the ALP estimates 71,000 workers are impacted.

Gold Coast-based Senator Murray Watt told The Bulletin: “This is $26 million taken out of the Gold Coast economy. It’s a big whack out of the economy. Small businesses need people to have that money in their pockets to spend in their shops, cafes and businesses.”

Labor Senator Murray Watt and Labor supporters during a rally in Labrador to protest the penalty cuts. Picture Mike Batterham

Labor in the northern Coast seat of Forde, held by the LNP’s Bert van Manen with a margin of 0.7 per cent, is confident that playing the penalty rate card will be a policy winner.

“On eight occasions we have tried to introduce legislation to overturn the Fair Work Commission decision to abolish penalty rates. All the Gold Coast LNP MPs have voted against it,” Senator Watt said.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has promised Labor in its first 100 days of office will overturn the Commission’s decision which took effect in July 2017, reducing Sunday penalty rates for some workers from 200 per cent of the standard wage to 150 per cent.

Campaign workers for Labor’s Forde candidate Des Hardman said volunteers who were doorknocking had received “massive feedback on penalty rates”.

“There are lot of young people there in the cafe and hospitality industries. It’s a very strong issue up there. It’s not just in the hospitality industry. Nurses are getting a bit worried that they will be next to lose their penalty rates,” a campaign worker said.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (left) and Labor's candidate for Forde Des Hardman (AAP Image/Dan Peled).

Mr Hardman warned that even bigger cuts to Sunday penalty rates will occur this July, and the July after that, unless a Labor Government is elected.

“It says everything you need to know about the LNP that they’re cutting workers’ wages but giving millionaires at the top end of town an $11,000 a year tax cut,” Mr Hardman said.

“Many local workers have no choice but to go to work over the long weekend in order to put food on the table and pay the bills. They deserve their penalty rates.”

Mr Hardman today with Labor Shadow Minister Linda Burney announced $90,000 in funding for Norfolk Village State Primary School to build a new ‘Makerspace’ interactive learning centre.

The new learning centre will benefit more than 1030 students by creating a permanent space to support the digital and design technologies curriculum area.

Ms Burney, said the learning centre would help create a brand-new hands-on learning environment which could help students with complex learning needs.

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Hospitality workers at theme parks are impacted by penalty rate cuts. Pic by David Clark.

“This space will benefit all students, but will especially benefit those who are facing complex and challenging situations and need access to a specialist program,” she said.

Mr Hardman said his experience as a foster carer had given him an insight into how trauma could impact on the ability of a student to learn.

“This new ‘Makerspace’ allows students to advance with their peers by assisting them with learning the social and emotional skills that they need to be successful,” he said.