Save Our Weekend.

Yesterday I listened to the head of the Restaurant & Catering Association calling for my wage – and hundreds of thousands of other peoples’ wages - to be cut. I work in an RSL club. As part of my normal working week, I work every Sunday. Like many people, my Sunday penalty rates are what help me pay the bills and keep food on the table. The Restaurant & Catering Association, along with a number of other employer groups, is calling on the government and the Fair Work Commission to slash weekend penalty rates for people like me: “We believe that in a contemporary environment, one shouldn’t have to pay penalty rates for working after hours.” – John Hart, CEO, Restaurant & Catering Association Yesterday I appeared at the government’s inquiry into our pay and working conditions. I told them why their recommendation to cut weekend penalty rates was such a bad idea and why it needs to be withdrawn. I have worked Sundays for the last 25 years. Working Sundays means I have missed out on many family gatherings and events over the years. It’s hard but my Sunday rates help keep my family afloat. This is what I told the Productivity Commission and the employer groups. And I wasn’t alone. Retail workers, nurses, bus drivers and wharf workers all stood alongside me and said the same thing. The final decision on weekend penalty rates will rest with our new Prime Minister. If you haven’t already, sign here to tell Prime Minister Turnbull that weekends matter and that he needs to commit to maintaining weekend penalty rates for everyone who has to work them. We’ll also be letting the Restaurant & Catering Association know exactly what we think of their plans to cut wages! I can’t do it on my own, but together we can save our weekend rates. Mary, For the Save our Weekend team