A vote today has confirmed that key minor crossbench senators have dropped their support for the looming cuts to penalty rates in retail and hospitality.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has upbraided new ACTU leader Sally McManus for expressing her support for key affiliate the CFMEU's flouting of "unjust" IR laws.
The Andrews Labor Government has today established a parliamentary inquiry to investigate how the state can protect retail and hospitality workers from reductions in penalty rates.
New university research presented at an IR academics conference in Canberra debunks the notion that reducing weekend penalty rates in the retail sector would mainly affect student workers who don't rely on the income to the same extent as other employees.
The Turnbull Government has confirmed it will make a submission to the Fair Work Commission on how to handle the transition to lower penalty rates in the retail and hospitality sectors.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants the Fair Work Commission to phase-in the planned cuts to some Sunday penalty rates over a period of years, to ensure that workers' take-home pay is protected, while the tribunal has timetabled the next stage of the penalties case.
The FWC has reduced Sunday penalty rates in the hospitality, retail, fast food and pharmacy sectors and pared-back public holiday penalties in five awards, in a landmark ruling today by a five-member full bench.
