Thursday, April 02, 2015

ACTU: Take action to protect penalty rates before the Easter break.

Take Action to Protect Penalty Rate before the Easter Break

As you open your Easter eggs this Sunday, spare a thought for Mark at the Cadbury factory who has been doing grueling shift work to make them for you:

“Over the last 30 years I have worked on Christmas day at least 10 times. I usually work over Easter and I have lost count of the number of birthday celebrations I have missed”.

Mark and millions of workers like him – from nurses to shop attendants - will be working all hours to make our Easter. They deserve their penalty rates and our thanks.

Yet employer groups and the Federal Government seem more determined than ever to scrap them.

The Abbott Government could put a stop to this and protect penalty rates for all workers now and into the future. Demand they act. Add your voice to the call to Save Our Weekends.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for almost 2 million workers on awards to lose their penalty rates altogether. That would mean a savage pay cut for some of Australia’s lowest paid workers. It would also rip billions out of the economy, hurting the very small businesses they claim they are helping.

And the government is trying to change the law to make it easier for bosses to force workers to give up penalty rates under individual contracts.

“If I lost my penalty rates we’d have to sell the house. We couldn’t afford to keep living here,” says Mark.

But that’s not going to happen. Not if ordinary workers speak up. Sign the petition calling on the Federal Government to take action to Save Our Weekends

Unions have fought for and won penalty rates. This government wants to build an underclass of working poor. But with your help we can build a better future.

We wish you all a happy and safe Easter.

In unity,

Dave and Ged
Australian Unions Team
http://www.australianunions.org.au/

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