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The
Age
11
March 2014
The nature of work will be transformed
once workers relinquish penalty rates.
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Before deciding what they want, people must realise that regardless of how employment laws are construed, mandated higher wages and penalty rates above the market equilibrium necessarily come at the cost of fewer jobs, shifts, and services. A higher rate is useless if one doesn't have the shift in the first place.
While I strongly support social
justice, misguided efforts can have the opposite result. This stereotypically
unbalanced article was written by a union representative who purports to be
supporting low income workers. Such rhetoric conceals an ulterior motive, for
in reality, it is well known that efforts such as these benefit established
union members, but come at the cost of the most disadvantaged workers.
Therefore, however well-intentioned or disgustingly sinister the writer's
underlying motivations, I remain sceptical regarding mandated penalty rates. I
believe in helping the poor by taking from the rich. I do not believe in
helping the poor by disingenuously taking from the poorer.
(via ST’s wall)
