Fair Work Bill must provide Fair Go for All

JUNE 13, 2017: THE only fair work bill on penalty rate cuts that I will vote for is one which ends penalty rate cuts for ALL workers.Today Labor wanted to bring on a vote on a Bill which originated in the Senate, but that Bill is deficient.The Greens Bill does not address the issue of penalty rates eroded away due to deals done between unions and big business, and which leave a number of workers worse off.The Private Member’s Bill I will introduce on Monday – The Fair Work Amendment (Protecting Take Home Pay of All Workers) Bill 2017 – does address that issue.I support the intent of that Greens Bill, which is to stop the Fair Work Commission decision to reduce penalty rates for those in retail and hospitality industries.So rather than vote against the suspension motion, I abstained from that vote.This was not a vote on the Bill, but rather a vote to push all other Government business aside and have debate on that Bill take precedence.Ultimately I would not have supported that Bill going forward unamended because it does not fully address the issue of the reduction in penalty rates.The bill I will introduce on Monday does just that.