700,000 of Australia’s lowest paid workers will lose their Sunday penalty rates on July 1

700,000 of Australia’s lowest paid workers will lose their Sunday penalty rates which drop five percentage points on July 1.

The Fair Work Commission move to slash rates outraged unions, who believe it will unfairly cut up to $6000 a year from the pay of Australia’s poorest people working in fast food, hospitality, retail and pharmacies.

“Today over 700,000 workers right across the country will get the first of several pay cuts they don’t deserve and can’t afford,” Gerard Dwyer, secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association said in a statement on Saturday.

“Our members include single parents struggling to make ends meet and students who are just getting by. Malcolm Turnbull and his government should be deeply ashamed by this unfair act.” The SDA and Hospitality union United Voice both lodged an appeal with the Federal Court last week over the Fair Work decision.

Earlier this week, opposition leader Bill Shorten said workers would lose their penalty rates at the same time as top wage earners get a tax cut with the end of the deficit levy from Saturday.

“I just ask Malcolm Turnbull to put the people first and not the top end of town,” Mr Shorten told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday…

Source: Penalty rates cut for low-paid workers from July 1