WORKERS TO LOSE UP TO $300 A WEEK

Australians on the minimum wage could lose up to $300 a week from their pay packets because of a Morrison Government decision that comes into force today.

Under Scott Morrison’s changes to JobKeeper, so-called “legacy businesses” – those that no longer qualify for the wage subsidy – will have permission to slash their workers’ pay even though they are on the road to recovery. As turnover goes up, take home pay can go down.

These are the same businesses the Government believes no longer need taxpayer support through JobKeeper. This change means a full-time minimum wage worker at one of these businesses could have their hours slashed by 40 per cent, knocking their take home pay from $753 a week to $450.

People on award minimum rates could experience even bigger pay cuts under the Government’s changes, which passed the Senate with the support of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation last month.

Labor sought to amend the Government’s changes to put in a safety net to protect low-paid workers. The Government rejected our proposal.

Cutting JobSeeker and JobKeeper is bad enough. But what kind of Government cuts real wages during a recession?

Vulnerable workers, already struggling through this pandemic, should not have to take a massive hit to their take home pay.

And this is the worst possible time to withdraw spending from the economy. 

The Government is simply shifting the cost of business support from away from itself and on to low paid workers.

When low-paid workers start getting their wages cut in the coming weeks and months they know exactly who to blame: Scott Morrison and Pauline Hanson.

MONDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2020