‘Malcolm Turnbull, can you live on $600?’

SHORTLY after he appeared at a Labor press conference with Bill Shorten, the story of Coles worker Trent Hunter started to unravel.

WHILE many sympathised with Spotlight worker Evelyn yesterday over the loss of her penalty rates, it turns out the young Coles worker who spoke at the same event, won’t actually be affected.

Trent Hunter appeared alongside Evelyn Kathner at a press conference with Labor leader Bill Shorten to talk about the Fair Work Commission’s decision to slash Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for hospitality, restaurant, fast food, retail and pharmacy workers.

“My name is Trent Hunter. I am a retail worker ... I rely on Sunday penalty rates ... I will now lose $109 a week,” he said.

Mr Hunter said he worked every Sunday at Coles and relied on the money to “make ends meet and to pay for my fuel, my rent and to pay for my food”.

But the supermarket giant confirmed to news.com.au that Mr Hunter would actually not lose a dollar.

“Store team members at Coles are employed under an enterprise agreement and therefore are unaffected by today’s decision,” the company said.

It's since emerged that Mr Hunter is a member of the ALP and he has posted photos on his social media accounts attending Labor functions, including a photo with Mr Shorten.

“Hanging out with my two favs,” Mr Hunter wrote on one Instagram post of himself with Lindsay MP Emma Husar and Bill Shorten.

In contrast, the story of worker Evelyn Kathner, who stands to lose $80 a week out of her $600 pay, highlighted the personal impact of the changes. She spoke frankly about her situation.

“I work at Spotlight in Campbelltown,” she said. “I earn $600 a week ... and I stand to lose $80.

“Could anybody do the maths on how much they have to spend on their groceries, on their rent, on their water, on their internet?

“I am sure it is going to come way above $600. $80 is a huge amount.

“I am telling you, the truth is this is no longer the lucky country.

“For many of us out in retail, this country has gone downhill. Who gets picked on every time? The ones that cannot afford it.”

She ended her emotional speech by calling on the Prime Minister to consider putting himself in her shoes.

“Malcolm Turnbull, can you live on $600? Try it.”

Labor has come out against Fair Work’s decision saying it was appalling for low paid workers in the country.

“It is true to say we do respect the commission but we do not support this decision,” Mr Shorten said. “This is the wrong decision.”

He said he did not think taking money out of the working class and middle class families would help the economy or stimulate employment.

“We are going to do our best to convince the Fair Work Commission not to implement this decision,” he said.

Mr Shorten also challenged Mr Turnbull to stand up for workers and ensure that the decision and its effects do not continue.

But Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said Mr Shorten had a “glass jaw” when it came to the history of penalty rates.

“What he does need to acknowledge is his role in it and the fact that it is either an independent commission or it is not,” Ms Cash said.

The Fair Work Commission sets the rates independent of the government and president Iain Ross has said a reduction in penalty rates was likely to lead to increased trading hours, an increase in the level and range of services offered on Sundays and public holidays and an increase in overall hours worked.

The Business Council of Australia supported the decision and said it was essential that penalty rates continue to be set independently by the commission, free of political interference.

“We support the principle that people working casually, overtime, unusual shifts or unsociable hours should be paid a premium,” Chief executive Jennifer Westacott said

“This decision recognises that the community’s view about what constitutes unsociable hours has shifted in the decades since penalty rates were first introduced.

“The onus is now on employers to demonstrate that modest reductions of this kind can mean more hours for workers and better service for customers.”

Evelyn Kathner spoke at a press conference with Labor leader Bill Shorten to talk about the Fair Work Commission’s decision to slash Sunday and public holiday penalty rates.

‘CAN I AFFORD ANOTHER $3 BUS FARE?’

Rowena Murray was working full-time as a barista and waitress, struggling to make ends meet.

The Melbourne woman was receiving penalty rates on Sundays but even then managed just $11 a week after rent and bills. That $11 had to pay for meals when she couldn’t get a cheap one at work.

At one point, Ms Murray says she was forced into homelessness. For six weeks she slept on friends’ couches.

Thankfully she picked herself up and came out the other end, but she worries for retail and hospitality staff who are already pushed to their financial limit and who today had their penalty rates slashed.

“Honestly, working hospitality full time was the toughest financial position I’ve ever been in,” she told news.com.au.

“And that’s when penalty rates were in place. It’s a shortsighted decision because so many people rely on those Sunday rates to be able to feed themselves.”

The decision, announced today, will see up to one million retail, fast food and hospitality staff with lighter wallets at the end of their working weeks.

A woman from Brisbane, who did not wish to be named, said she is “stressed” knowing her pay packet is dwindling.

“I work for a fine dining restaurant in the Brisbane CBD (and) it’s stressful knowing that you’re going to be doing the same amount of work, but taking home less pay,” she told news.com.au.

“I’m going back to uni full time next week, so I’m going be working less anyway. With the reduction on penalty rates, it will mean having to budget more and figuring out if I can afford to drive to work with the cost of petrol at the moment.

“I think people assume that penalty rates mean that we’re raking in great pay checks. You need to question every expense — Can I afford another $3 bus fare? Can I pay my phone bill by the due date? The reality is everyone will need to work more, including myself, which will be a struggle with uni.”

Maggie Munn is in the same boat. The bartender from the Gold Coast already works two jobs and studies full time. She barely scrapes by as it is.

“I pay my bills and my living expenses myself and rely pretty heavily on my weekend penalty rates to do so. I know plenty of other students who do the exact same thing,” she said.

“It’s already a tough slog to afford cost of living in a city but it’s just manageable on my current wage. Once the penalty cuts comes into effect in July, it’ll be a struggle for me to afford my current expenses.”

Ms Munn said she understands how it benefits employers, but “people like me rely on (penalty rates) to make ends meet.

“To be honest, taking another job isn’t something I’d want to do because I already work two and study full time, I doubt I’d have the time, but if it needs to be done I’ll have to.

“Moving back in with my Mum seems like a pretty attractive option at this rate.”

A 23-year-old woman named Gigi, who asked for her surname to be withheld, did the calculations on Thursday. She knows exactly how much she’ll lose.

“I am a 23 year old full time student who is working as a casual employee in the retail industry to make ends meet,” she said.

“I work around my studies to get by and I live on a minimum wage. As you can imagine, to someone in my position, every dollar counts. I work an eight hour shift every Sunday, so, upon hearing the news today I used my past pay slips to work out how the change would directly affect me.

“To give you some figures, these changes will cost me $77.76 per week, which accumulates to $4043.52 over a year. Now, to a high earner, I understand that $77.76 isn’t a lot of money, but to me, that’s two full tanks of petrol, a grocery shop, a phone bill, or most importantly, 1/3 of a university textbook, of which I have to buy four, every semester.

“It’s also over three hours work on my regular hourly rate. This means I’ll have to work an extra three hours a week to make the same amount of money, which is problematic, as hours in the retail industry are not secure or guaranteed for a casual employee, there is no way of knowing if I’ll be able to pick up those hours.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews captured much of the sentiment felt by affected workers and young people. On Facebook on Thursday he shared a simple message about their struggle.

“Life for young people in 2017 = shaky casual shifts, insecure work, and the possibility of never owning a home.”

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