http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/


Quote:

MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall.

That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block.

What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life.

Yet it is Labor who is forcing down wages, via attacking the unemployed, via the below poverty line dole payments.

Why risk your job when the Anti Labor Party risks it for you.



http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1326203520

ALP's Dole Punishment Promotes Poverty



ALP should change the meaning of the A to Anti !



Anti Labor Party is undermining the campaign for better pay and conditions by low and medium Australian Workers by not having a decent income for the unemployed.

CELEBRITY chef George Calombaris has entered the industrial relations debate, slamming as uneconomical penalty rates faced by restaurateurs under the federal Fair Work Act.

Calombaris, who stars in the high-rating MasterChef TV show, has complained about the rates he will have to pay staff at his new Melbourne pasta bar, due to open this month, claiming it is up to $40 an hour per worker on Sundays.

''And it's not like they've had to go to uni for 15 years,'' he told the Power Index website yesterday. ''The problem is that wages on public holidays and weekend greatly exceed the opportunity for profit. So our labour laws are something that need to be looked at.''

Advertisement: Story continues below

'Too high' ... George Calombaris as a judge on MasterChef.
The cost of eating out in Australia was expensive because of the workplace relations regime, Calombaris said.

Retailers cough up half a million in back-pay

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten disagrees with Calombaris on penalty rates.

''If George wants to bargain with his workers and improve productivity and be even more competitive, then the tools exist in our present workplace system,'' the website, which is owned by publisher Eric Beecher's Private Media Pty Ltd, cited him as saying.

''Penalty rates compensate wait staff and others who have to work late nights, public holidays and weekends while everyone else gets to spend this time with family and friends.

''The Gillard government won't be adopting the low road of paying already low-paid workers less.''

But Institute of Public Affairs work reform director John Lloyd said Mr Shorten and the unions should be listening to Calombaris' concerns because he joined a growing list of restaurant owners warning penalty rates could force restaurant closures and job losses.

''Under the current system the penalty rates are underpinned by an award and basically set in concrete,'' Mr Lloyd said in a statement.

''The Rudd/Gillard workplace relations system has imposed a rigid set of rules.''

Small businesses were opting out of genuine bargaining with their employees, with initiatives offering growth to businesses and job security for employees not being pursued, Mr Lloyd said.

Mr Lloyd said that while unions offered platitudes about enterprise bargaining, in practice they would not even entertain the slightest reduction in agreement or award terms.

He said the review of the Fair Work Act was too modest. The review is set to be completed and handed to the government by an independent panel in May.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/out-of-the-frying-pan-penalty-rates-under-fire-from-celebrity-chef-20120109-1prx3.html



To bargain mean take the rate the boss says ... or fall under the poverty line, thanks to the Anti Labor Party's attack on the unemployed.

this has been done to death on the general board which is where it should be.....yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

cods wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 6:36am:

this has been done to death on the general board which is where it should be.....yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

All you do is promote it, by posting.


Is your negativity due to not having a solid position, other than supporting ALP's position by defacto.

You oppose lifting the unemployed out of poverty and oppose workers being paid a decent amount for their Labour. You support the very wealthy over middle and lower Australians.

Correct?

You oppose lifting the unemployed out of poverty and oppose workers being paid a decent amount for their Labour. You support the very wealthy over middle and lower Australians.



Can't speak for Cods greenslime but hey I support all of the above. How else could I afford to have my car washed, my house cleaned, my pool cleaned, my shoes polished, my laundry done. Sheesh I even give them my two  day old bread

Keep the poor poor I say. Mind you you have to be selective as to who does the work for you as there are some untrustworthy poor people out there.

____ wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 6:48am:

cods wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 6:36am: this has been done to death on the general board which is where it should be.....yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz All you do is promote it, by posting. Is your negativity due to not having a solid position, other than supporting ALP's position by defacto. You oppose lifting the unemployed out of poverty and oppose workers being paid a decent amount for their Labour. You support the very wealthy over middle and lower Australians. Correct?

oh boy I wish I could be bothered answering you.. but its like dealing with a programmed robot.

.keep on keeping on knucklehead..maybe one day you will surprise me and say something worth answering.

blackadder wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 6:56am:

You oppose lifting the unemployed out of poverty and oppose workers being paid a decent amount for their Labour. You support the very wealthy over middle and lower Australians. Can't speak for Cods greenslime but hey I support all of the above. How else could I afford to have my car washed, my house cleaned, my pool cleaned, my shoes polished, my laundry done. Sheesh I even give them my two  day old bread Keep the poor poor I say. Mind you you have to be selective as to who does the work for you as there are some untrustworthy poor people out there.

they would be the greenies ba... they pirate ships in the middle of the night.. and take over things that dont belong to them.[coaloaders. bulldozers. they think they are above the law.. so certainly never employ one of those.and if they did fill your pool with ink.. wasting water after all.. then bob would give them all the green medal.of valor

cods wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:15am:

____ wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 6:48am: cods wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 6:36am: this has been done to death on the general board which is where it should be.....yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz All you do is promote it, by posting. Is your negativity due to not having a solid position, other than supporting ALP's position by defacto. You oppose lifting the unemployed out of poverty and oppose workers being paid a decent amount for their Labour. You support the very wealthy over middle and lower Australians. Correct? oh boy I wish I could be bothered answering you.. but its like dealing with a programmed robot. .keep on keeping on knucklehead..maybe one day you will surprise me and say something worth answering.

So a long winded yes ... thanks man's droopy pair.

''Penalty rates compensate wait staff and others who have to work late nights, public holidays and weekends while everyone else gets to spend this time with family and friends.
Thank goodness for people like Mr Shorten that want the workers to get their penalty rates.   :)

wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:25am:

''Penalty rates compensate wait staff and others who have to work late nights, public holidays and weekends while everyone else gets to spend this time with family and friends. Thank goodness for people like Mr Shorten that want the workers to get their penalty rates.   :)

I guess you and Mr Shorten would prefer if everyone stayed at home with their families on public holidays??/ not a bad idea at this rate he will get his wish..


ummmmm what about hospitals??? everybody out by 5pm Friday

Nothings worse than a whiny cook.
Considering the low pay his staff will receive for their labors from this skinflint, weekend penalty rates when his restaurant is extremely busy is actually appropriate.
Nigella Lawson doesn't whine.
In fact, after watching her show on TV last night, I have come to the conclusion that when I die, I want to come back as her spoon. ;)

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 3:42am:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life.

Maybe he isn't charging his customers enough to cover wages?

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 3:42am:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life.

Penalty rtaes are one of the reasons jobs are  disappearing.

Isn't it better to work for less than not work at all?

Some of these, who can't  occupy themselves passively,  turn to anti-social activity.

If you support penalty rates then you have to support higher prices outside business hours to compensate.

Penalty rates are supposed to be an incentive to attract staff to work outside normal work hours when there is a shortage of staff during those times, not just a union extorted perk for all shift workers. >:(

In other words market based. :(

The current union demanded ALP instigated IR system is inflexible, artificially fixes the price of labour (just like a cartel which for businesses is illegal) and retards enterprise, investment and ultimately costs jobs........(Calombaris is absolutely correct) something that Lefties can't get thier collective assimilated pea brains around http://www.anchoredbygrace.com/smileys/borgsmile.gif.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:38am:

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 3:42am: http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life. Maybe he isn't charging his customers enough to cover wages?

Maybe he has worked out that, if he charges customers more, they'll go elsewhere or start cooking themselves?

Flexibility does not, or should  mean pay cuts.  If people work weekend or public holidays, of course they should get their penalty rates.   >:(

wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:49am:

Flexibility does not, or should  mean pay cuts.  If people work weekend or public holidays, of course they should get their penalty rates.   >:(

WHY should they?  Are they more productive?

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 8:06am:

wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 7:49am: Flexibility does not, or should  mean pay cuts.  If people work weekend or public holidays, of course they should get their penalty rates.   >:( WHY should they?  Are they more productive?

They are providing labor at a time when their time and effort comes at a higher premium rate, they are sacrificing more and increasing the risk to their health, relationships and lifestyle.

It is simply more difficult to work at 2 am than it is at 2 pm and the effort and associated risk is worth more financially as compensation.

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:42am:

If you support penalty rates then you have to support higher prices outside business hours to compensate. Penalty rates are supposed to be an incentive to attract staff to work outside normal work hours when there is a shortage of staff during those times, not just a union extorted perk for all shift workers. In other words market based.

It's amazing how many people have so little understanding of shift work conditions.

Historically penalties have never had anything to do with either incentives, the market or a number of other things regularly attributed.

Armchair_Politician wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:38am:

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 3:42am: http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life. Maybe he isn't charging his customers enough to cover wages?

Not only does Calombaris charge $230 for a five-course degustation menu at his top Melbourne restaurant Press Club, his yet-to-open pasta diner Mama Baba will charge $27 for pasta, $33 fish or meat of the day and $14 to $18 for salads.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/masterchef-chef-george-calombaris-gets-bread-staff-on-crusts-as-he-complains-about-penalty-rates/story-e6freuy9-1226241182962

Dnarever wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 8:52am:

Swagman wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 7:42am: If you support penalty rates then you have to support higher prices outside business hours to compensate. Penalty rates are supposed to be an incentive to attract staff to work outside normal work hours when there is a shortage of staff during those times, not just a union extorted perk for all shift workers. In other words market based. It's amazing how many people have so little understanding of shift work conditions. .

Ha it's amazing how 'Truebelievers' have so little understanding of cause and effect and that by rewarding effort you get more effort but by rewarding want you get more want... >:(


Dnarever wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 8:52am:

Historically penalties have never had anything to do with either incentives, the market or a number of other things regularly attributed

Yes maybe historically it has....that's why the perception of penalty rates is WRONG and has to change.  They should be incentive rates NOT penalty rates.

So-called penalty rates are old fashioned and from a totally different world.  For businesses to compete globally IR has to change.

Howard was supposed to be the conservative but Workchoices was a progressive policy and it has been Labor & its Boss the Unions that have succeeded in making Australian business and manufacturing UNCOMPETITIVE with outdated and unworkable IR regulation and now it's death by taxes.

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 9:27am:

Dnarever wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 8:52am: Swagman wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 7:42am: If you support penalty rates then you have to support higher prices outside business hours to compensate. Penalty rates are supposed to be an incentive to attract staff to work outside normal work hours when there is a shortage of staff during those times, not just a union extorted perk for all shift workers. In other words market based. It's amazing how many people have so little understanding of shift work conditions. . Ha it's amazing how 'Truebelievers' have so little understanding of cause and effect and that by rewarding effort you get more effort but by rewarding want you get more want... >:( Dnarever wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 8:52am: Historically penalties have never had anything to do with either incentives, the market or a number of other things regularly attributed Yes maybe historically it has....that's why the perception of penalty rates is WRONG and has to change.  They should be incentive rates NOT penalty rates. So-called penalty rates are old fashioned and from a totally different world.  For businesses to compete globally IR has to change. Howard was supposed to be the conservative but Workchoices was a progressive policy and it has been Labor & its Boss the Unions that have succeeded in making Australian business and manufacturing UNCOMPETITIVE with outdated and unworkable IR regulation and now it's death by taxes.

No you see you have it arse about face.
Before the 1900's we had nothing like the the IR we have now, in fact it was the IR system you are now calling progessive.
Work whenever for as little as possible.

As I have mentioned before, the recent example where we asked our foreign subsidiaries to perform a weekend year close inventory count highlighted to me what a disgraceful "whats in it for me?" work ethic Australia has in comparison to other parts of the world.

Singapore, Japan, Germany and Puerto Rico showed Australia up to be the disgrace that it is.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 9:54am:

As I have mentioned before, the recent example where we asked our foreign subsidiaries to perform a weekend year close inventory count highlighted to me what a disgraceful "whats in it for me?" work ethic Australia has in comparison to other parts of the world. Singapore, Japan, Germany and Puerto Rico showed Australia up to be the disgrace that it is.

Disgrace or advanced???
Sure Andrei I've seen that you did a few emails boxing day(how long was that 10mins or 8 hrs worth).
But I also read how you nip off for 18 holes midweek, do those guys you are lauding in Singapore get the same privillage or are they just drones?
Why is having time for yourself & your family now seen as a problem.
I work to live NOT live to work, you should try it.
Your daughters will thank you.

A column from the west australians food critic.  i thought it was quite good.


Quote:

It's not often you find yourself feeling sorry for restaurateurs. But the impact of the Fair Work Australia awards on restaurants in WA makes one want to storm the political barricades on their behalf. The awards will put staff out of work and send restaurants broke. At best, it will become increasingly difficult to find a meal on a Sunday or a public holiday when penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for waiters and chefs make it unviable to open the doors. The only winners are the union bosses, who have now been imposed on restaurants as unwelcome business partners. There's little doubt that unions are now calling the shots, and making restaurants uncompetitive is mere collateral damage - all made possible by the Gillard Government's Fair Work Australia policies. And, there is no greater example that Canberra is out of touch than Fair Work Australia's 7pm rule which says that penalty rates for restaurant workers come in to effect after 7pm - the very time that restaurants get to work. You can understand when restaurateurs interpret such IR laws as a personal attack on their sector. Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for the Fair Work Australia reforms, defended the laws, saying unions and restaurateurs retained the right to negotiate and the awards were not that bad. Mr Shorten well knows that these are weasel words. There is no union in the nation that would enter into negotiations to reduce award wages. It beggars belief that Mr Shorten believes Australians are foolish enough to accept him at his word. In the meantime, prices in WA restaurants - among the nation's highest - will continue to rise. At least in the ones that survive. And go hug a restaurateur: it's perhaps the only comfort they'll get.

If you want a 9-5 job don't be a waiter, or pretty much anything involved with hospitality.  It's no secret that you'l be working hours when the main crowd are not.  If however, you are a student with classes during the day, it is an excellent way to earn some extra money while you work your way towards soemthing better.  It is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 9:43am:

No you see you have it arse about face. Before the 1900's we had nothing like the the IR we have now, in fact it was the IR system you are now calling progessive. Work whenever for as little as possible.

I'm not referring to the 1900s.  Aust's labour regulation is circa 60 - 80s.  No internet, little or no extended trading hours, little or no Global competition, regulated banking etc etc

It might have been ok then but now it's one main reason our manufacturing industry is stuffed and companies are going off shore for services. :(

... wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:10am:

A column from the west australians food critic.  i thought it was quite good. Quote: It's not often you find yourself feeling sorry for restaurateurs. But the impact of the Fair Work Australia awards on restaurants in WA makes one want to storm the political barricades on their behalf. The awards will put staff out of work and send restaurants broke. At best, it will become increasingly difficult to find a meal on a Sunday or a public holiday when penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for waiters and chefs make it unviable to open the doors. The only winners are the union bosses, who have now been imposed on restaurants as unwelcome business partners. There's little doubt that unions are now calling the shots, and making restaurants uncompetitive is mere collateral damage - all made possible by the Gillard Government's Fair Work Australia policies. And, there is no greater example that Canberra is out of touch than Fair Work Australia's 7pm rule which says that penalty rates for restaurant workers come in to effect after 7pm - the very time that restaurants get to work. You can understand when restaurateurs interpret such IR laws as a personal attack on their sector. Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for the Fair Work Australia reforms, defended the laws, saying unions and restaurateurs retained the right to negotiate and the awards were not that bad. Mr Shorten well knows that these are weasel words. There is no union in the nation that would enter into negotiations to reduce award wages. It beggars belief that Mr Shorten believes Australians are foolish enough to accept him at his word. In the meantime, prices in WA restaurants - among the nation's highest - will continue to rise. At least in the ones that survive. And go hug a restaurateur: it's perhaps the only comfort they'll get. If you want a 9-5 job don't be a waiter, or pretty much anything involved with hospitality.  It's no secret that you'l be working hours when the main crowd are not.  If however, you are a student with classes during the day, it is an excellent way to earn some extra money while you work your way towards soemthing better.  It is a means to an end, not an end in itself.

Sorry Honk, but this is just bullsh!t.
As I said yesterday I was in the industry from 1986 till 2001
& I was paid exactly the same penalty rates as the ones apparently forced onto these restaurants by Gillard.
If they are so onerous why weren't they fazed out by Keating with enterprise bargaining or Howard even before Work Choices.
No these rates have been in place for decades and are fair.

The beatup about Fair Work imposing them is a lie.

Oh & 7pm is NOT when a restaurant starts work, its just the time most of the general public starts to arrive.
Chefs will arrive from 11am onwards
Front of house 4PM onwards
Do you think those tables set themselves, this idiot knows nothing from what you've posted, he probably became a critic yesterday when he transferred from the young liberals lunchroom


The old adage rings true
"Those that cant, bitch"

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:22am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 9:43am: No you see you have it arse about face. Before the 1900's we had nothing like the the IR we have now, in fact it was the IR system you are now calling progessive. Work whenever for as little as possible. I'm not referring to the 1900s.  Aust's labour regulation is circa 60 - 80s.  No internet, little or no extended trading hours, little or no Global competition, regulated banking etc etc It might have been ok then but now it's one main reason our manufacturing industry is stuffed and companies are going off shore for services. :(

You guys just don't see it do you?
Manufacturing went offshore because Australians believe they are worth more than a mud hut, 1 cooking pot & a goat.
And as I said yesterday, think of the whole picture not just the bitch de jour.
Say Employers are successful at driving down wages, what do you think will happen to retail?
Look in the 00's it was OK because profits were kept afloat by credit, since the GFC people are no longer willing to go into massive debt so profit has to come from somewhere else, wages are the easy target.
The perpetual growth theory is a lie >:(

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:36am:

... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:10am: A column from the west australians food critic.  i thought it was quite good. Quote: It's not often you find yourself feeling sorry for restaurateurs. But the impact of the Fair Work Australia awards on restaurants in WA makes one want to storm the political barricades on their behalf. The awards will put staff out of work and send restaurants broke. At best, it will become increasingly difficult to find a meal on a Sunday or a public holiday when penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for waiters and chefs make it unviable to open the doors. The only winners are the union bosses, who have now been imposed on restaurants as unwelcome business partners. There's little doubt that unions are now calling the shots, and making restaurants uncompetitive is mere collateral damage - all made possible by the Gillard Government's Fair Work Australia policies. And, there is no greater example that Canberra is out of touch than Fair Work Australia's 7pm rule which says that penalty rates for restaurant workers come in to effect after 7pm - the very time that restaurants get to work. You can understand when restaurateurs interpret such IR laws as a personal attack on their sector. Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for the Fair Work Australia reforms, defended the laws, saying unions and restaurateurs retained the right to negotiate and the awards were not that bad. Mr Shorten well knows that these are weasel words. There is no union in the nation that would enter into negotiations to reduce award wages. It beggars belief that Mr Shorten believes Australians are foolish enough to accept him at his word. In the meantime, prices in WA restaurants - among the nation's highest - will continue to rise. At least in the ones that survive. And go hug a restaurateur: it's perhaps the only comfort they'll get. If you want a 9-5 job don't be a waiter, or pretty much anything involved with hospitality.  It's no secret that you'l be working hours when the main crowd are not.  If however, you are a student with classes during the day, it is an excellent way to earn some extra money while you work your way towards soemthing better.  It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Sorry Honk, but this is just bullsh!t. As I said yesterday I was in the industry from 1986 till 2001 & I was paid exactly the same penalty rates as the ones apparently forced onto these restaurants by Gillard. If they are so onerous why weren't they fazed out by Keating with enterprise bargaining or Howard even before Work Choices. No these rates have been in place for decades and are fair. The beatup about Fair Work imposing them is a lie. Oh & 7pm is NOT when a restaurant starts work, its just the time most of the general public starts to arrive. Chefs will arrive from 11am onwards Front of house 4PM onwards Do you think those tables set themselves, this idiot knows nothing from what you've posted, he probably became a critic yesterday when he transferred from the young liberals lunchroom The old adage rings true "Those that cant, bitch"

You reckon you had it bad - try security.  Even worse hours apply, sometimes working until 6am with the added 'bonus' of drunk/drugged up assholes wanting to test their might.

But thems the conditions you accept when you take the job.  Don't take a job you KNOW isn't going to operate until the 'antisocial' hours and then expect to be paid a premium for working those hours. 
I'm sure you understand that if the penalties are termed as percentage, then theres going to be lot of difference between what that meant for you in 1986, and what it means today.

And yeah, pretty funny that you think Rob broadfield is from the young liberals.  He is a very good reviewer, and was a chef himself for a few decades.  He knows his stuff.

though to be fair, I now see I didn't include the bit that said who wrote it.

Time & a half for Saturday's after 8
Double time for all day Sunday
Double time & a half for Public Hols

So I probably got more than the rates they are quoting now.

You never put a name to your critic here's a good review of him
http://www.boomtownrap.com/107/and-the-boomtown-rap-silver-spoon-perth-food-critic-award-goes-to%E2%80%A6/

Seems like a reasonable reviewer, but I keep coming back to the point "why try & drive down wages?"
Why is he adding his voice to the employers side?
Forget this rubbish that people wont work, most don't have that luxury, they'll work when told.
Security from what little I know are on $28+ p/hour normal time

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:22am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 9:43am: No you see you have it arse about face. Before the 1900's we had nothing like the the IR we have now, in fact it was the IR system you are now calling progessive. Work whenever for as little as possible. I'm not referring to the 1900s.  Aust's labour regulation is circa 60 - 80s.  No internet, little or no extended trading hours, little or no Global competition, regulated banking etc etc It might have been ok then but now it's one main reason our manufacturing industry is stuffed and companies are going off shore for services.

Again the lack of understanding - penalty rates go back to at least the 1940's and 1950's as does an additional weeks leave for genuine shift workers.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:08am:

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 9:54am: As I have mentioned before, the recent example where we asked our foreign subsidiaries to perform a weekend year close inventory count highlighted to me what a disgraceful "whats in it for me?" work ethic Australia has in comparison to other parts of the world. Singapore, Japan, Germany and Puerto Rico showed Australia up to be the disgrace that it is. Disgrace or advanced??? Sure Andrei I've seen that you did a few emails boxing day(how long was that 10mins or 8 hrs worth). But I also read how you nip off for 18 holes midweek, do those guys you are lauding in Singapore get the same privillage or are they just drones? Why is having time for yourself & your family now seen as a problem. I work to live NOT live to work, you should try it. Your daughters will thank you.

It's not a problem and I am all for a healthy work-life balance.

I don't know the set-up in SG, it'll be run locally by the SEA Director - he may well allow the guys some time to do other things.

My point though is we ask people to do something for the company.
To help out, to do their bit.

Why is it the other subs can show a bit of work ethic and complete the task whereas the response we get from Aus is "we need to bring in contractors to do it or we need to pay overtime for weekends?"

Fking disgrace, no wonder jobs move overseas.

ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after. 

It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer.

Swagman wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:22am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 9:43am: No you see you have it arse about face. Before the 1900's we had nothing like the the IR we have now, in fact it was the IR system you are now calling progessive. Work whenever for as little as possible. I'm not referring to the 1900s.  Aust's labour regulation is circa 60 - 80s.  No internet, little or no extended trading hours, little or no Global competition, regulated banking etc etc It might have been ok then but now it's one main reason our manufacturing industry is stuffed and companies are going off shore for services.

Yes its a tough question Should we partisipate in a race to the bottom - can we be competative with the third world on wages and conditions or should we even try?

Should we support the companies who do or should we penalise them in some fashon.

... wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:12am:

ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer.

Not for the guy who is expected to work all the difficult hours while others get all the cream shifts at the same rate for less effort, danger and damge to their life relationships etc.

... wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:12am:

ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer.

We find common ground :)
Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach.
Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates.

If I owned a restaurant, I would hate having to pay penalty rates but if I were a kitchen hand, slogging away in a hot kitchen on Sunday, I would think it’s fair and just.  Everything seems to comes back to boss versus worker - it just depends on which side of the fence you are on.

I always thought industries such as hospitality, there was the expectation of weekend and nights.

Its not like a Monday morning in a pub or restaruant is going to be busier than a Friday night.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:20am:

... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:12am: ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer. We find common ground :) Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach. Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates.

yeah I wouldn't expect the restaurant owners to talk about that...they need to pull their socks up too.  They like to charge the prices expected of high-end establishments, but don't a) provide the service to standard and b) don't remunerate those who make it possible accordingly.
yeah theres a personal angle to this - my wife was a chef at a fine dining restaurant, the kind of place where you could expect to pay $100 a dish.  She made this food that could fetch $100 a plate, and for this, she was 'rewarded' at the princely rate of $15 and change.  4 years apprenticeship to be paid 15 lousy bucks an hour. 

Verge wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:35am:

I always thought industries such as hospitality, there was the expectation of weekend and nights. Its not like a Monday morning in a pub or restaruant is going to be busier than a Friday night.

If you work normally in a regular 9 - 5 role then you probably should be entitled to overtime at a higher rate for certain levels of roles.

However if you work ordinarily in an industry where you would work well beyond that, then you should just be paid the same.

Like the all night shopping in London, if their normal hours are 1am - 6am, then you shouldnt get penalty rates for that because its what you signed up.

... wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:39am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:20am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:12am: ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer. We find common ground :) Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach. Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates. yeah I wouldn't expect the restaurant owners to talk about that...they need to pull their socks up too.  They like to charge the prices expected of high-end establishments, but don't a) provide the service to standard and b) don't remunerate those who make it possible accordingly. yeah theres a personal angle to this - my wife was a chef at a fine dining restaurant, the kind of place where you could expect to pay $100 a dish.  She made this food that could fetch $100 a plate, and for this, she was 'rewarded' at the princely rate of $15 and change.  4 years apprenticeship to be paid 15 lousy bucks an hour.

Why do you think there are very few middle aged Chefs.

Fantastic young blokes trade
Sleep in
Work with heaps of chicks
Finish when town just starts pumping

But for your average 30 year old person married with kids, the hours suck & the pay sucks even more.
I still look & the average offered around here is between 45 & 55K & that's salary.
Maybe fair for your 38 to 40 hour Mon to Fri week but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:49am:

but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work.

That's a quiet week for me and many others....

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:53am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:49am: but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work. That's a quiet week for me and many others....

Maybe so, but a very long week for most.  It's not a competititon to see who can work the most hours.

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:49am:

... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:39am: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:20am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:12am: ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer. We find common ground :) Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach. Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates. yeah I wouldn't expect the restaurant owners to talk about that...they need to pull their socks up too.  They like to charge the prices expected of high-end establishments, but don't a) provide the service to standard and b) don't remunerate those who make it possible accordingly. yeah theres a personal angle to this - my wife was a chef at a fine dining restaurant, the kind of place where you could expect to pay $100 a dish.  She made this food that could fetch $100 a plate, and for this, she was 'rewarded' at the princely rate of $15 and change.  4 years apprenticeship to be paid 15 lousy bucks an hour.  Why do you think there are very few middle aged Chefs. Fantastic young blokes trade Sleep in Work with heaps of chicks Finish when town just starts pumping But for your average 30 year old person married with kids, the hours suck & the pay sucks even more. I still look & the average offered around here is between 45 & 55K & that's salary. Maybe fair for your 38 to 40 hour Mon to Fri week but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work.

Thats why ours never leave, never any more than 40 hours a week (still has nights and weekends but never late nights) and start at $55k.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:53am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:49am: but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work. That's a quiet week for me and many others....

Reality 50 min average 60 to 65
& are you on 50K

Dnarever wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:08am:

Swagman wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:22am: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 9:43am: No you see you have it arse about face. Before the 1900's we had nothing like the the IR we have now, in fact it was the IR system you are now calling progessive. Work whenever for as little as possible. I'm not referring to the 1900s.  Aust's labour regulation is circa 60 - 80s.  No internet, little or no extended trading hours, little or no Global competition, regulated banking etc etc It might have been ok then but now it's one main reason our manufacturing industry is stuffed and companies are going off shore for services. Again the lack of understanding - penalty rates go back to at least the 1940's and 1950's as does an additional weeks leave for genuine shift workers.

There's no lack of understanding this end.

Whenever socalled penalty rates were introduced is irrelevant. 

If a company needs staff working at night but can't get enough of them then they will pay more to attract night workers...this is legitimate business, supply and demand. 

Simply paying everyone more to work at night is uneconomical and illogical.  This is the point the Chef bloke is making. :(

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 11:20am:

... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:12am: ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer. We find common ground :) Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach. Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates.

I worked with companies were doing that under workchoices.  People ended up in the same boat, maybe better, but payroll was a breeze.

Once that got booted, it was back to the fun old days.

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 3:42am:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life.

Penalty rates do contribute to unemployment.

If you are get a job in the hospitality industry, you already know you must work public holidays and nights. Agree that penalty rates contribute to unemployment but judging by the comments, they would have Buckley's of getting rid of them.

Verge wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 12:02pm:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:49am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:39am: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:20am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:12am: ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer. We find common ground :) Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach. Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates. yeah I wouldn't expect the restaurant owners to talk about that...they need to pull their socks up too.  They like to charge the prices expected of high-end establishments, but don't a) provide the service to standard and b) don't remunerate those who make it possible accordingly. yeah theres a personal angle to this - my wife was a chef at a fine dining restaurant, the kind of place where you could expect to pay $100 a dish.  She made this food that could fetch $100 a plate, and for this, she was 'rewarded' at the princely rate of $15 and change.  4 years apprenticeship to be paid 15 lousy bucks an hour.  Why do you think there are very few middle aged Chefs. Fantastic young blokes trade Sleep in Work with heaps of chicks Finish when town just starts pumping But for your average 30 year old person married with kids, the hours suck & the pay sucks even more. I still look & the average offered around here is between 45 & 55K & that's salary. Maybe fair for your 38 to 40 hour Mon to Fri week but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work. Thats why ours never leave, never any more than 40 hours a week (still has nights and weekends but never late nights) and start at $55k.

Good luck with that attitude at an NYSE listed company Verge.

First week of Jan and most of us in Finance have worked 70+ hours in the week (including all of new year's day).

It comes down to work ethics and attitude and the view from our office is that the Australian work attitude stinks if we're honest.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 1:41pm:

Verge wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 12:02pm: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:49am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:39am: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:20am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 11:12am: ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after.  It'd be simpler for the employer, and would be fairer. We find common ground :) Although you will note NONE other than yourself have uttered this sensible approach. Georgie boy & the rest have bitched about penalty rates but have been mute on normal time rates. yeah I wouldn't expect the restaurant owners to talk about that...they need to pull their socks up too.  They like to charge the prices expected of high-end establishments, but don't a) provide the service to standard and b) don't remunerate those who make it possible accordingly. yeah theres a personal angle to this - my wife was a chef at a fine dining restaurant, the kind of place where you could expect to pay $100 a dish.  She made this food that could fetch $100 a plate, and for this, she was 'rewarded' at the princely rate of $15 and change.  4 years apprenticeship to be paid 15 lousy bucks an hour.  Why do you think there are very few middle aged Chefs. Fantastic young blokes trade Sleep in Work with heaps of chicks Finish when town just starts pumping But for your average 30 year old person married with kids, the hours suck & the pay sucks even more. I still look & the average offered around here is between 45 & 55K & that's salary. Maybe fair for your 38 to 40 hour Mon to Fri week but the reality as you would know is 50hrs minimum & weekend work. Thats why ours never leave, never any more than 40 hours a week (still has nights and weekends but never late nights) and start at $55k. Good luck with that attitude at an NYSE listed company Verge. First week of Jan and most of us in Finance have worked 70+ hours in the week (including all of new year's day). It comes down to work ethics and attitude and the view from our office is that the Australian work attitude stinks if we're honest.

If we were paying the kind of wages you get, I would expect them to be working 70plus.

Im not going to expect a qualified trademan to work for ($55k / 70 hours / 52 weeks) $15.11 an hour.

Its about relativity.  Would you be doing the hours you do for only $55k.

If so, feel free to go into your boss and tell him you will take a pay cut to the same rate as the expectations you have of others.

Quote:

Thats why ours never leave, never any more than 40 hours a week (still has nights and weekends but never late nights) and start at $55k.

Let me know when a possie comes up Verge I might just get back in the trade. ;D
A nice tree change to the country might be nice also :)

freediver wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 12:06pm:

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 3:42am: http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life. Penalty rates do contribute to unemployment.

So what? So when Employers start sacking workers because they don't want to pay penalty rates, WE have to bend over for THEM?

If they can't afford to pay these wages, perhaps that says a lot more about the quality of the service they're offering then the impact penalty rates could ever have.

Verge wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 3:00pm:

If we were paying the kind of wages you get, I would expect them to be working 70plus. Im not going to expect a qualified trademan to work for ($55k / 70 hours / 52 weeks) $15.11 an hour. Its about relativity.  Would you be doing the hours you do for only $55k. If so, feel free to go into your boss and tell him you will take a pay cut to the same rate as the expectations you have of others.

Money is nothing to do with it.

Pride in your work, ethics, morals, giving back to the company.
None of this is money related.

It's about attitude.
Chef, street cleaner, Financial Controller - they are all titles - all should have the same core ethics and values in my book.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 3:29pm:

Verge wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 3:00pm: If we were paying the kind of wages you get, I would expect them to be working 70plus. Im not going to expect a qualified trademan to work for ($55k / 70 hours / 52 weeks) $15.11 an hour. Its about relativity.  Would you be doing the hours you do for only $55k. If so, feel free to go into your boss and tell him you will take a pay cut to the same rate as the expectations you have of others. Money is nothing to do with it. Pride in your work, ethics, morals, giving back to the company. None of this is money related. It's about attitude. Chef, street cleaner, Financial Controller - they are all titles - all should have the same core ethics and values in my book.

I have more pride in my extra-curricular activities.  My work just pays the bills.

WEEKENDS and holidays are for hitting the beach, family barbecues in the park, watching Disney movies at home in the afternoon, mowing the lawn, visiting grandma, going to Luna Park or playing cricket with a bunch of mates who look suspiciously like Max Walker.

It's different for all of us of course, but the grand Australian genius of weekends is that it's about taking a break from work and being able to do what you want. Our American friends make sweeping speeches about freedom -- we just get on with it.

So surely we can agree that if you work on the weekend you should be compensated for it - just as you should if you have to be at work in the evenings, or overnight or on a public holiday.   ;) 

The hospitality industry is one of Australia's great sectors of commerce. It's what helps make us a lifestyle superpower, and celebrity chef George Calombaris has been a big part of that. But this week George attacked penalty rates paid in restaurants, bars, cafes and all other parts of the hospitality industry. And - while I love his excellent cooking and his entrepreneurial business sense - we need innovative small businesses like his in Australia - I just can't agree that cutting wages of low-paid workers is a boost for the industry or a fair thing to do.

If George wants to bargain with his workers, improve productivity and be more competitive, then the tools exist in our present workplace system without the need to cut wages. Waiters are some of the lowest paid people in the country. The minimum wage is just $15.51 per hour and the average weekly pay for hospitality workers is $364 less than the overall average.

Penalty rates and wages were slashed under WorkChoices, which was roundly rejected by the Australian people. And let's be honest: Most waiters and other low-paid employees couldn't afford to eat in high-end restaurants if they weren't paid penalty rates.   :(

I greatly admire the US, but one thing we don't want to do is go down their wages path.

A minimum wage that is well below the poverty line and forcing hospitality staff to live on tips is not something this country should ever contemplate.

It's a similar situation for employees in the retail industry, where we sometimes see certain big retailers pointing the finger at penalty rates as the source of their economic woes, even though a typical retail worker's wage is also well below average.   :(

Yes, retail in Australia is doing it pretty tough right now and yes, it is immensely important to our economy. Yet the latest retail sales figures show consumers are cautious.

Australian households are saving more and borrowing less. In periods of some economic uncertainty it is normal for families to hold on to existing goods for longer than they otherwise might -- items like TVs, lounges, white goods, clothes and accessories.

So, with so many retailers, restaurants and cafes being small enterprise, we must always be in the business of helping them succeed and I hope 2012 proves to be a year of robust economic debate.

I also hope it's a time when Australians don't lose sight of how we are doing relatively well by global standards.

At times frustrated voices in our economy will point a premature finger of blame.

The critics shouldn't be ignored but we should always seek to discern the truth from the self-interest -- and also find the hope even where there is grumpy cynicism.

The thoughtful journalist Tom Dusevic wrote in a Sydney newspaper back in 1997 about how Saturday and Sunday traditionally had a different rhythm in Australia.

That the weekends have always been our own time, while the rest of the week was the boss's. He was in fact pondering at the time whether the weekend was at risk of being lost.

Fifteen years on I think we can confidently say it has not been lost. But that doesn't mean we should take it for granted. We are now a 24/7 economy but we should never abandon the weekend and our families.

And the sacred status of the weekend can be threatened sometimes. WorkChoices did this not long ago and we shouldn't forget it.   :(

No one likes having to pay a bit more for a meal at a restaurant. And we all want to see our main streets and shopping centres flourish.

But if part of what we pay on a Sunday is modestly compensating fellow Australians who are giving up their leisure time to serve us, then I think it's a small price to pay to protect the fair go for future generations of Australians.   [smiley=thumbsup.gif] 

Bill Shorten is Workplace Relations Minister.   :)

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 3:29pm:

Verge wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 3:00pm: If we were paying the kind of wages you get, I would expect them to be working 70plus. Im not going to expect a qualified trademan to work for ($55k / 70 hours / 52 weeks) $15.11 an hour. Its about relativity.  Would you be doing the hours you do for only $55k. If so, feel free to go into your boss and tell him you will take a pay cut to the same rate as the expectations you have of others. Money is nothing to do with it. Pride in your work, ethics, morals, giving back to the company. None of this is money related. It's about attitude. Chef, street cleaner, Financial Controller - they are all titles - all should have the same core ethics and values in my book.

Money had everything to do with it.  I see no value in working someone 70 hours a week for $15.11 an hour.  Its grossly unfair and unjust to take someone away from their family for such a period without there being a financial reward for doing so.

Its easy to say people should be working the same hours as you when you are in the $200k bracket.  If its not about money, go and take a $150k pay cut, and let the company create three $50k jobs with the saving.

There must be a financial reward.  People can have pride in their work, and all of ours do, and it comes with paying them fairly and not driving them into the ground.

Why should we make out $55k chefs do 70 hours a week?  Whats the benefit in that for the business.  Our team of chefs are all long term and produce high quality.  Why run them into the ground and have them leave?

You try and bullshit us all the time about how much you make, and suddenly now its not about money its about pride.  Crap.

We look after our staff, and they inturn look after us.

If it wasnt about money for you, you would be living near your parents on $80k a year and enjoying family time.
Instead you travel everywhere chasing the money and power.
You are capitalist by nature and capitalist by actions, dont try and play the "pride in work so everyone should be doing it" crap with me.

How many people opening a restaurant do not understand the expectation of paying their employees at the correct rates and factor this into their business case?

Do people understand that for a start shift workers have a 5 to 8 year shorter life expectancy?

the inherent risk involved in shift work is very real.

Higher than average risk of heart problems, sleep issues, digestion problems, ulcers etc, mental health issues, and on. They also have a much greater risk of failed relationships and poorer quality family life in terms of availability for family events childrens sport and activities and such.

Masterchef moron attacks penalty rates

Isn't Moran the other one?

[quote author=190B1D020B17601E071E0B1D4E0 link=1326217342/33#33 date=1326244361]ahhh dunno about driving down wages.  I'd be happy for base rates to improve, especially for skilled work (ie chefs) but removal of penalty rates.  that is, be paid $25 per hour, every hour rather than $20 before 7pm and $30 after. 

I lived at a time when restaurants closed their doors on Sunday.

That was when time and a half (penalty rates) came into bloom (demanded by brick-headed unions and obeyed by an empty-headed Labor Guvmint).

Hungry tourists walked on sleeping Sydney streets--

olde.sault wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 7:42am:

GoddyofOz wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 3:42am: http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/01/09/calombaris-has-masterchip-on-his-shoulder-over-penalty-rates/ Quote: MasterChef star George Calombaris has launched a spray at the Gillard government’s Fair Work Act, claiming that public holiday and weekend penalty rates have the potential to force his new restaurant venture to the wall. That's all the information I can provide because of Crikeys stupid subscription block. What an absolute moron Calambaris is. He expects his waitors and Chefs to work on Public Holidays for regular rates, have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life. Penalty rtaes are one of the reasons jobs are  disappearing.

WHAT "jobs are disappearing" ?

There is a SHORTAGE of hospitality workers, right across the COUNTRY

GENERALLY speaking, Australia has one of the HIGHEST rates of employment in the WORLD

... wrote on Jan 11^th, 2012 at 10:46am:

Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:36am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:10am: A column from the west australians food critic.  i thought it was quite good. Quote: It's not often you find yourself feeling sorry for restaurateurs. But the impact of the Fair Work Australia awards on restaurants in WA makes one want to storm the political barricades on their behalf. The awards will put staff out of work and send restaurants broke. At best, it will become increasingly difficult to find a meal on a Sunday or a public holiday when penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for waiters and chefs make it unviable to open the doors. The only winners are the union bosses, who have now been imposed on restaurants as unwelcome business partners. There's little doubt that unions are now calling the shots, and making restaurants uncompetitive is mere collateral damage - all made possible by the Gillard Government's Fair Work Australia policies. And, there is no greater example that Canberra is out of touch than Fair Work Australia's 7pm rule which says that penalty rates for restaurant workers come in to effect after 7pm - the very time that restaurants get to work. You can understand when restaurateurs interpret such IR laws as a personal attack on their sector. Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for the Fair Work Australia reforms, defended the laws, saying unions and restaurateurs retained the right to negotiate and the awards were not that bad. Mr Shorten well knows that these are weasel words. There is no union in the nation that would enter into negotiations to reduce award wages. It beggars belief that Mr Shorten believes Australians are foolish enough to accept him at his word. In the meantime, prices in WA restaurants - among the nation's highest - will continue to rise. At least in the ones that survive. And go hug a restaurateur: it's perhaps the only comfort they'll get. If you want a 9-5 job don't be a waiter, or pretty much anything involved with hospitality.  It's no secret that you'l be working hours when the main crowd are not.  If however, you are a student with classes during the day, it is an excellent way to earn some extra money while you work your way towards soemthing better.  It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Sorry Honk, but this is just bullsh!t. As I said yesterday I was in the industry from 1986 till 2001 & I was paid exactly the same penalty rates as the ones apparently forced onto these restaurants by Gillard. If they are so onerous why weren't they fazed out by Keating with enterprise bargaining or Howard even before Work Choices. No these rates have been in place for decades and are fair. The beatup about Fair Work imposing them is a lie. Oh & 7pm is NOT when a restaurant starts work, its just the time most of the general public starts to arrive. Chefs will arrive from 11am onwards Front of house 4PM onwards Do you think those tables set themselves, this idiot knows nothing from what you've posted, he probably became a critic yesterday when he transferred from the young liberals lunchroom The old adage rings true "Those that cant, bitch" You reckon you had it bad - try security.  Even worse hours apply, sometimes working until 6am with the added 'bonus' of drunk/drugged up assholes wanting to test their might. But thems the conditions you accept when you take the job.  Don't take a job you KNOW isn't going to operate until the 'antisocial' hours and then expect to be paid a premium for working those hours.  I'm sure you understand that if the penalties are termed as percentage, then theres going to be lot of difference between what that meant for you in 1986, and what it means today. And yeah, pretty funny that you think Rob broadfield is from the young liberals.  He is a very good reviewer, and was a chef himself for a few decades.  He knows his stuff. though to be fair, I now see I didn't include the bit that said who wrote it.

Oh I don't know...I never had any problem with it, of course getting paid $30.00 per hour helped a lot...the drug/alcohol induce heroes weren't too bad either....most of them could barely stand, let alone land a punch..

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 9:45am:

... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:46am: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:36am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:10am: A column from the west australians food critic.  i thought it was quite good. Quote: It's not often you find yourself feeling sorry for restaurateurs. But the impact of the Fair Work Australia awards on restaurants in WA makes one want to storm the political barricades on their behalf. The awards will put staff out of work and send restaurants broke. At best, it will become increasingly difficult to find a meal on a Sunday or a public holiday when penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for waiters and chefs make it unviable to open the doors. The only winners are the union bosses, who have now been imposed on restaurants as unwelcome business partners. There's little doubt that unions are now calling the shots, and making restaurants uncompetitive is mere collateral damage - all made possible by the Gillard Government's Fair Work Australia policies. And, there is no greater example that Canberra is out of touch than Fair Work Australia's 7pm rule which says that penalty rates for restaurant workers come in to effect after 7pm - the very time that restaurants get to work. You can understand when restaurateurs interpret such IR laws as a personal attack on their sector. Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for the Fair Work Australia reforms, defended the laws, saying unions and restaurateurs retained the right to negotiate and the awards were not that bad. Mr Shorten well knows that these are weasel words. There is no union in the nation that would enter into negotiations to reduce award wages. It beggars belief that Mr Shorten believes Australians are foolish enough to accept him at his word. In the meantime, prices in WA restaurants - among the nation's highest - will continue to rise. At least in the ones that survive. And go hug a restaurateur: it's perhaps the only comfort they'll get. If you want a 9-5 job don't be a waiter, or pretty much anything involved with hospitality.  It's no secret that you'l be working hours when the main crowd are not.  If however, you are a student with classes during the day, it is an excellent way to earn some extra money while you work your way towards soemthing better.  It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Sorry Honk, but this is just bullsh!t. As I said yesterday I was in the industry from 1986 till 2001 & I was paid exactly the same penalty rates as the ones apparently forced onto these restaurants by Gillard. If they are so onerous why weren't they fazed out by Keating with enterprise bargaining or Howard even before Work Choices. No these rates have been in place for decades and are fair. The beatup about Fair Work imposing them is a lie. Oh & 7pm is NOT when a restaurant starts work, its just the time most of the general public starts to arrive. Chefs will arrive from 11am onwards Front of house 4PM onwards Do you think those tables set themselves, this idiot knows nothing from what you've posted, he probably became a critic yesterday when he transferred from the young liberals lunchroom The old adage rings true "Those that cant, bitch" You reckon you had it bad - try security.  Even worse hours apply, sometimes working until 6am with the added 'bonus' of drunk/drugged up assholes wanting to test their might. But thems the conditions you accept when you take the job.  Don't take a job you KNOW isn't going to operate until the 'antisocial' hours and then expect to be paid a premium for working those hours.  I'm sure you understand that if the penalties are termed as percentage, then theres going to be lot of difference between what that meant for you in 1986, and what it means today. And yeah, pretty funny that you think Rob broadfield is from the young liberals.  He is a very good reviewer, and was a chef himself for a few decades.  He knows his stuff. though to be fair, I now see I didn't include the bit that said who wrote it. Oh I don't know...I never had any problem with it, of course getting paid $30.00 per hour helped a lot...the drug/alcohol induce heroes weren't too bad either....most of them could barely stand, let alone land a punch..

You'd generally just trick the drunk ones into thinking leaving was their idea.  If they carry on, it's not like they're capable of hurting you physically, but they're still a pain in the arse. 
I take it you never had speed/ice heads in your spots though. 

... wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 9:55am:

gizmo_2655 wrote on Jan 12th, 2012 at 9:45am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:46am: Dsmithy70 wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:36am: ... wrote on Jan 11th, 2012 at 10:10am: A column from the west australians food critic.  i thought it was quite good. Quote: It's not often you find yourself feeling sorry for restaurateurs. But the impact of the Fair Work Australia awards on restaurants in WA makes one want to storm the political barricades on their behalf. The awards will put staff out of work and send restaurants broke. At best, it will become increasingly difficult to find a meal on a Sunday or a public holiday when penalty rates of up to 250 per cent for waiters and chefs make it unviable to open the doors. The only winners are the union bosses, who have now been imposed on restaurants as unwelcome business partners. There's little doubt that unions are now calling the shots, and making restaurants uncompetitive is mere collateral damage - all made possible by the Gillard Government's Fair Work Australia policies. And, there is no greater example that Canberra is out of touch than Fair Work Australia's 7pm rule which says that penalty rates for restaurant workers come in to effect after 7pm - the very time that restaurants get to work. You can understand when restaurateurs interpret such IR laws as a personal attack on their sector. Bill Shorten, the minister responsible for the Fair Work Australia reforms, defended the laws, saying unions and restaurateurs retained the right to negotiate and the awards were not that bad. Mr Shorten well knows that these are weasel words. There is no union in the nation that would enter into negotiations to reduce award wages. It beggars belief that Mr Shorten believes Australians are foolish enough to accept him at his word. In the meantime, prices in WA restaurants - among the nation's highest - will continue to rise. At least in the ones that survive. And go hug a restaurateur: it's perhaps the only comfort they'll get. If you want a 9-5 job don't be a waiter, or pretty much anything involved with hospitality.  It's no secret that you'l be working hours when the main crowd are not.  If however, you are a student with classes during the day, it is an excellent way to earn some extra money while you work your way towards soemthing better.  It is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Sorry Honk, but this is just bullsh!t. As I said yesterday I was in the industry from 1986 till 2001 & I was paid exactly the same penalty rates as the ones apparently forced onto these restaurants by Gillard. If they are so onerous why weren't they fazed out by Keating with enterprise bargaining or Howard even before Work Choices. No these rates have been in place for decades and are fair. The beatup about Fair Work imposing them is a lie. Oh & 7pm is NOT when a restaurant starts work, its just the time most of the general public starts to arrive. Chefs will arrive from 11am onwards Front of house 4PM onwards Do you think those tables set themselves, this idiot knows nothing from what you've posted, he probably became a critic yesterday when he transferred from the young liberals lunchroom The old adage rings true "Those that cant, bitch" You reckon you had it bad - try security.  Even worse hours apply, sometimes working until 6am with the added 'bonus' of drunk/drugged up assholes wanting to test their might. But thems the conditions you accept when you take the job.  Don't take a job you KNOW isn't going to operate until the 'antisocial' hours and then expect to be paid a premium for working those hours.  I'm sure you understand that if the penalties are termed as percentage, then theres going to be lot of difference between what that meant for you in 1986, and what it means today. And yeah, pretty funny that you think Rob broadfield is from the young liberals.  He is a very good reviewer, and was a chef himself for a few decades.  He knows his stuff. though to be fair, I now see I didn't include the bit that said who wrote it. Oh I don't know...I never had any problem with it, of course getting paid $30.00 per hour helped a lot...the drug/alcohol induce heroes weren't too bad either....most of them could barely stand, let alone land a punch.. You'd generally just trick the drunk ones into thinking leaving was their idea.  If they carry on, it's not like they're capable of hurting you physically, but they're still a pain in the arse.  I take it you never had speed/ice heads in your spots though.

Not so much....a lot of dope (which never cause problems, other than waking them up), some ecstasy, a little heroin, might have been a little speed/meth, but not enough to be much of a problem.