The Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) has joined the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) in pushing for changes to the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA) amid opposition from the federal government.
The amendments to General Retail Industry Award (GRIA) 2020 which cover several things such as penalty rates, overtime, and shift times were proposed by the ARA which represents some of the biggest retailer in the country including Coles, Woolworths, Kmart, Bunnings, Costco, Mecca and 7-Eleven stores.
In response to the current review of the amendments, the ARA has put forward 13 recommendations that it says seeks to “simplify the award, provide greater choice to employees, and which better reflect the modern retail workplace.”
The proposal is currently before the Fair Work Commission (FWC), and gives employees “greater choice” and employers “the certainty they need”, according to ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown.
“Australians and retailers operate in a seven-day economy and employees need the flexibility to structure their work in a way that fits their lives. These changes give them more control while making sure small businesses can confidently meet their obligations and run a sustainable business,” said Brown.
Under the ARA’s proposal, workers who would like to work a four-day week have the option to more flexibly work 38 hours across four days, while allowing split-shifts.
“This means parents will have the flexibility they need to pick up or drop off their school kids or employees who just want to finish early can do just that,” said Brown.
The council for small business organisations in the country seems to have aligned its views with the ARA. COSBOA Chief Executive Office Luke Achterstraat said that the proposals would help small business owners focus on running their businesses and supporting their employees.
“It’s high time to recognise that small business supports five million Australian jobs, and the industrial relations system needs to reflect this reality,” said Achterstraat.
“In the retail sector alone, employers must navigate 994 different pay rates across 96 pages just to ensure their employees are paid correctly. It’s unworkable.”
“Red tape is killing Australian small businesses. It’s not sustainable.”
“A clearer, more practical award system means business owners can spend less time on administration and more time creating jobs, training staff, and supporting their communities.”
Those who oppose the ARA’s proposal claim that amendments would see workers earning above a certain threshold exempted from things like overtime rates, evening and weekend penalty rates, and annual leave loading, suggestions against which the ARA has pushed back. The ARA said that it is proposing some managers be made eligible to elect to receive a higher annual salary of at least 125% of their base rate of pay.
The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt, has in his submissions to the FWC opposed the proposed changes. “Labor’s longstanding position is that workers’ wages should not go backwards,” he said in a submission to the FWC, according to Yahoo Finance.
“If you give up your nights and weekends to keep Australia fed and clothed, you deserve your penalty rates. We’re focused on helping Australians earn more, while the big supermarkets and retailers are trying to cut their penalty rates.”
