Workers in Kwinana and Rockingham have every right to feel aggrieved with their penalty rates being cut yet again, local Federal MP Madeleine King said today.

“According to the latest ABS statistics, 11,761 people or one in six workers in Brand work in the retail, food and accommodation industries are affected by the cuts,” Ms King said. “At the same time the Turnbull Government has given millionaires a $7,000 tax cut as from 1 July.”

“Some workers could be up to $3,300 a year worse off. Penalty rates will be cut again next year and the year after that.

“I said last year that the attack on the pay of some of our lowest-paid workers is disgraceful.

“But what is even more of a disgrace is the Government’s refusal to protect these workers.”

“Turnbull and the out-of-touch Liberals could have stopped the cuts to penalty rates by joining Labor and supporting our Bill in the Parliament but they chose not to. It’s clear the only way to stop the cuts is to elect a Shorten Labor Government.

“A Shorten Labor Government will stop the cuts to penalty rates and ensure penalty rates cannot be cut in the future,” Ms King said. Calculations show that because of the cuts to Sunday and public holiday penalty rates, workers in various industries will be dealt another blow to their pay packets by up to the following amounts:

Pharmacy: $3,273.73
Retail: $2,450.81
Hospitality: $1,884.37
Fast Food: $1,628.85
Restaurant: $586.05