So popular are weekend penalty rates that a startling 76 per cent Australians who don't get them want them to stay.
A ReachTEL poll of 3273 households conducted on Friday night found that, even among Coalition supporters, the proportion supporting penalty rates was 58 per cent. Among Labor voters it was 90 per cent and Greens voters 89 per cent.
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The boss who likes penalty rates
Sydney hotel owner Harry Hunt says it would be 'devastating' for Australia to change penalty rates.
Asked what their view would be of an establishment than chose to cut weekend penalty rates, 64 per cent said it would be negative or very negative. Even among Coalition voters 43 per cent said they would disapprove and only 16 per cent approve. Asked whether they would support hospitality workers taking industrial action to protect their penalties, 55 per cent said yes. Only among Coalition voters did more disapprove than approve: 27 to 16 per cent.
The United Voice trade union commissioned the survey ahead of an upcoming decision from the Fair Work Commission. It has been asking clubs and other employers to pledge not to cut penalty rates even if the Commission allows them to.
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"This research shows those who try will face a backlash," said United Voice assistant national secretary David McElrea. "Hospitality workers and their families are heading into this holiday season not knowing if they are about to suffer the largest pay cut since the Great Depression.
"Australians know that the people who work hard on weekends to make sure the rest of us can enjoy our time off don't deserve a sudden pay cut. They are ready to support these workers to prevent that from happening."
Chamber of Commerce chief executive James Pearson said the survey smacked of a coordinated campaign to influence the decision of the independent umpire.
"Employers and unions have had ample time to make their respective cases," he said. "Reducing high penalty rates on Sundays to be in line with Saturdays will make it easier for businesses to open for longer, hire more people and give them more hours of work."
On Monday the Greens will introduce a pay protection bill to ensure that workers can't have penalty rates taken away in deals negotiated between their union and employer. The bill is aimed at the Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees Association whose deals with big employers including McDonald's, Coles and Woolworths are believed to have cost workers $300 million a year.