Retail workers robbed of family time at Easter under SA Liberals

SDA Secretary Sonia Romeo says more South Australian families will be forced to give up family time over the Easter long weekend if the Liberals are elected in 2018.

 

The Liberals plan to deregulate trading hours scraps the Easter long weekend for retail workers because they’ll be at work on Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday instead of taking time off.

 

“Steven Marshall doesn’t care about working families because if he did he wouldn’t allow shops to be open midnight to 9pm on almost every single public holiday over Easter.

 

“We will find that more and more South Australians will miss out on public holidays, mums who want to spend time with their kids but can’t because they have to work or because their kids have to work.

 

“Retail is the largest employer in South Australia, we all know someone who works in retail who will no longer have an opportunity to take time off if shops are open,” she said.

 

Sonia says the balance is right in South Australia between giving workers and small businesses a fair go but also the community a chance to hit the shops too.

 

The deregulation of trading hours will further disadvantage retail workers who are also facing a cut to penalty rates, which is supported by the Federal Liberal Government.

 

“Research from the ACTU indicates workers will lose $30 million in wages nationally over Easter if penalty rates are cut and over $1.5 million in South Australia.

 

“These workers are at real risk of being forced to work more hours for less pay when wages growth is already at record lows. Time and time again, the Liberals and employer lobby groups attack workers and ask them to give up valuable time for  nothing in return,” she said.

 

The South Australian Liberals have also failed to provide empirical evidence of job creation as a result of trading hour deregulation.

 

“The reality is, shoppers don’t have more money to spend just because shops are open for longer so it won’t create jobs. It will only force retail workers into working over an irregular span of hours,” said Sonia.