Noble Punters Are Boycotting Businesses Who Cut Their Workers’ Sunday Rates

There’s a small aspect of this whole penalty rate cut debacle that doesn’t seem to have got much airtime – which is that, while the Sunday penalty rate for hospo, retail and pharmacy workers is going to take a long, slow dive starting today, no-one is actually forcing employers to pay their staff any less. 

An initiative called Save Our Weekend has jumped on this, and is successfully convincing punters to lobby their local businesses – particularly pubs, those building blocks of Australian society – to pledge that they’ll maintain their employees’ weekend wages. 

They’ve gone as far as passing out contracts and logo-emblazoned beer coasters (they clearly know their audience), and the movement has picked up quite a bit of steam. It’s really kind of inspiring. 

Can’t wait to talk to some local businesses this weekend and get their commitment to continue to pay weekend penalty rates #SaveOurWeekend pic.twitter.com/ONqc3RCSmc

— Emeline Gaske (@emelinegaske) July 1, 2017

Hey @PricelineAU – will you be protecting #penaltyrates of your workers? I will not be shopping with you til I hear “yes” #saveourweekend

— Anita Tang (@tangstake) June 30, 2017

MASSIVE SHOUT OUT to @TheCavDarwin who value their staff and keeping weekend rates –@SaveOurWeekend #weekendwarrior pic.twitter.com/m5fGbKkZ8k

— United Voice NT (@UnitedVoiceNT) July 2, 2017

Very disappointing that McGuires who own The Junction at #Annerley won’t be paying their staff #weekendpenaltyrates ?? #weekendwarrior pic.twitter.com/hn80u9w1TD

— Annerley Labor (@Annerley_Labor) July 2, 2017

No more drinkies at The Junction for these #WeekendWarriors
Fair go for weekend workers. Restore #penaltyrates & #SaveOurWeekend https://t.co/jIvhR8ChIH

— Craig Wood (@UnionProudCWood) July 2, 2017

Who wants to join me for a ?? in Ferny Grove? ?????????????? #saveourweekend #weekendwarriors #penaltyrates pic.twitter.com/lVJFkPAqr9

— Save Our Weekend (@SaveOurWeekend) July 2, 2017

This employer has made the right choice. No #penaltyrates cut for people working at @gaythornersl #SaveOurWeekend #WeekendWarriors pic.twitter.com/PbViRNMvo0

— Australian Unions (@unionsaustralia) July 2, 2017

No changes to #penaltyrates at Glenbrook Liquor Store #auspol #SaveOurWeekend pic.twitter.com/fT26rgpKMu

— Australian Unions (@unionsaustralia) July 2, 2017

This will be me to any business that doesn’t pay #PenaltyRates, they’ll get the full Julia Roberts Pretty Woman treatment. pic.twitter.com/fgREcX9eAG

— Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) July 1, 2017

It’s nowhere near the kind of support you’d want the actual government to be providing to Australia’s most vulnerable and hardest-working people, but it does go a little way to warming the cockles of one’s heart. 

We’re with you, weekend workers of Australia. In the meantime, seeing as our policy makers have decided that Sundays aren’t really that important, let’s get in touch with them next weekend, yeah?

The world has changed. People want businesses to open on Sundays: https://t.co/bFPy3AujHu via @RichLEvans @theTiser

— Kate Carnell (@KateCarnellAus) June 30, 2017

I would like to contact you on Sundays, as would all my friends at @unionsaustralia. I assume your office is open? #auspol #SaveOurWeekend # https://t.co/FfXUZNlI2B

— Larissa Harrison (@HarrisonLarissa) July 1, 2017

Yeah, right.