An employer push to remove weekend penalty rates for workers in restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs would slash the pay of many of Australia’s lowest-paid workers, say unions.

 

Employers calling for pay cuts for hospitality staff should try giving up their weekends, evenings and public holidays for the same low wages as the workers who generate the industry’s profits, say unions.

 

Low-paid workers in the restaurant, catering and hospitality sectors rely on penalty rates to not only compensate them for working unsociable hours, but to help them make ends meet, said ACTU President Ged Kearney.

 

She said the latest call to slash penalty rates was part of a wider but tired employer campaign to remove workers’ rights.

 

“Penalty rates exist because the Australian community expects that if people forego their evenings, weekends or public holidays to work, they should be compensated,” Ms Kearney said.

 

“Many of these workers earn among Australia’s lowest wages and penalty rates are the only things that enable them to pay their rent, mortgages, and bills and put food on the table.”

 

The employer group’s argument that workers should be paid penalty rates only if they work six or seven days in a row was nonsensical and was just another way of saying ‘we don’t want to pay penalty rates at all’, Ms Kearney said.

 

In the 12 months to September last year, hospitality industry wages increased by 3.1%, well below the pace of inflation, and below the average 3.6% wages growth average across all industries.