Our Penalty Rates are At Risk

First published in The Logan Reporter on 23 October 2015.

I’ve received a lot of worried calls and emails lately about the Government’s recent comments on penalty rates.

I know many families in our area rely on penalty rates to pay the bills and make ends meet.

That’s why the comments made by the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the new Employment Minister have been so concerning.

The Liberals are signalling they plan to cut penalty rates after the next election, which would make around 4.5 million Australian workers worse off.

No matter how the Government tries to hide it, a cut in penalty rates is a cut in take home pay, which will make your wallet lighter.

Australia is currently experiencing the slowest wages growth in 25 years, but the Government is only interested in cutting the wages of low paid workers.

People forced to work weekends, late nights or public holidays away from their family deserve a higher rate of pay for this sacrifice.

I will stand against these cuts to penalty rates on behalf of the thousands of nurses, emergency workers, retail employees and others in our community who depend on them.

My Labor colleagues and I believe we need to invest in the high-skilled, high-wage jobs of the future, rather than engage in a race to the bottom on wages.

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