Fresh from doing nothing on energy and the ban on corporate pooftas, it’s onto doing nothing about class war for the PM:
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has for the first time offered explicit government support for a cut to penalty rates, saying he agreed with the decision announced this month.
…After weeks of equivocation, the prime minister admitted that he does support the penalty rate cut handed down by the Fair Work Commission, adding that he’ll find it hard to work with incoming ACTU boss Sally McManus.
But on Friday, a frustrated Mr Turnbull told radio 3AW interviewer Neil Mitchell that, “we do support it Neil”.
“I have been very clear about that,” he said.
…Mr Turnbull said he agreed with the commission’s view that the reduction in Sunday rates would lead to more employment opportunities…
The Fair Work Commission ruling actually said that it is “improbable that … existing workers’ hours on Sundays would rise sufficiently to offset the income effects of penalty rate reductions”. That does not sound like more employment to me.
Second, it is worth pointing-out that workers in Accommodation & Food Services and Retail Trade already suffer from the highest underemployment in the nation:
Third, wages growth in Accommodation & Food Services has been the lowest of all sectors over the past 12 years, whereas retail trade has also experienced some of the lowest wages growth:
And this comes on top of record low earnings growth across the broader economy:
Thus, the FWC’s decision will adversely affect workers in sectors already containing Australia’s most vulnerable and poorly paid workers.
I have long supported greater flexibility for small business when it comes to industrial relations, including easier unfair dismissal laws, but cutting take home pay for no reason is pure and simple class war, especially on the young.
If you want to help youth get more work, Do-nothing, then how about cutting the 457 visa scam? Or, boosting the dying apprenticeship space. Or, launching some macroeconomic reform aimed at lifting productivity and wages more generally?
Two more years of this hollow suit and sleepy Australia may actually revolt.
