Yass cafes back penalty rates
By ALIX DOUGLAS
Oct. 23, 2015.
Yass Tribune

Local cafe owners are not in favour of cutting weekend penalty rates amid building momentum in the Coalition for industrial relations reforms.

Member for Hume Angus Taylor is among a number of Liberal MPs to recently advocate for reduced weekend penalty rates in sectors such as hospitality, retail and tourism to drive business growth and stimulate employment.   

Mr Taylor told Fairfax media that high penalty rates were stopping country cafes opening on weekends.

“If you walk around on a Sunday or a public holiday many of the cafes are closed,” he said.

“I have spoken to the owners and they say, ‘look we’d love to open, but it’s just not economical’. Many of these are family-owned businesses so, if they’re going to be open on a Sunday, they’ll use family members themselves rather than employ people, because of the high weekend penalty rates."

New owners of Galutzi cafe, Pete and Belle Green, are happy to pay their staff extra on weekends.   

"We are not against penalty rates," Mr Green said.

"The girls deserve to be remunerated for giving up their weekends to work. They earn every cent and we are happy to pay it."

Galutzi does not trade on Sundays but Mrs Green said that was due more to a "lifestyle" choice than higher wages.

Thyme to Taste owner Andrew Dodds does open most Sundays and has done since he started the local deli/cafe.

He said he was also in full support of paying staff penalty rates and the added cost did not influence his trading hours.   

"It does not make a difference, we have always opened on weekends and it is just something we factor into our business model.

"Staff should be awarded penalty rates for giving up their weekends."   

Mr Taylor has, however, said he is most concerned about the people who are unemployed and underemployed.

“And the real problem we have with the way the union movement thinks about this, and the Fair Work Commission, is they seem much more worried about the conditions of those who are already in work and have very little concern for the people who either aren’t in work or are underemployed.

“We can’t afford to have wages that are at levels that are just not going to work - and that’s the situation we’ve got with weekend penalty rates.”

The Hume MP added there would be no impact on emergency services workers if penalty rates were cut.

The issue of industrial relations reforms was briefly raised in Question Time in Federal Parliament last week, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull giving his clearest signal yet that changes could be on the table at the next election.

Why doesn't the liberal government make real jobs rather than getting workers to subsidise via lower pay?  What's the problem with asking family members to work on the weekends?  That way the business gets to save on more wages.  Clearly some people think its ok for workers to work for less on the weekends but not for family members - oh wait, their weekends are more valuable than others.

times they are a changing... not everyone shares Sat and Sunday as their weekend.. some prefer Monday Tuesday...its their choice....we are fast approaching a 24/7 constant working time zone...airports are moving into the future...if we want to keep up with the rest of the world then we will have to do the same...

funny how the left screamed when it was suggested they pay to go to triage ... yet they dont mind using the place at weekends when the staff all need and get penalty rates... .. so many double standards   

if I go to a restaurant or coffee shop at the weekend they can at least put on a surcharge or even increase their prices...to cover the extra... but that FREE hospital dont even think of asking for anything  to help cover their high costs...

weird ..

how about we close the hospitals down at weekends save even more money?.. just a thought.

public transport is another great waste of money...

Johnsmith wrote on Oct 24^th, 2015 at 11:27am:


Good on him, if he's happy to give his money away, that should be his choice and not some union clown.

Yass Cafes Back Penalty Rates



Most honest employers do.

stunspore wrote on Oct 24^th, 2015 at 10:11am:

The Liberal government aren't interested in creating jobs because their corporate masters are best served by a high unemployment rate and subdued wages growth. The Liberals prefer job-destroying actions like sacking tens of thousands of people, destroying the local manufacturing industry, retaining a long working week, expanding Work for the Dole and a very lax attitude towards the rules for 457 visas.

Johnsmith wrote on Oct 24^th, 2015 at 12:07pm:


They choose where they want to work.

greggerypeccary wrote on Oct 24^th, 2015 at 12:38pm:


....looks like your wasting your membership tax then Pecker