Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This morning I met a group of passionate and hardworking hairdressers who were in parliament to alert MPs to the fact they are the latest group of workers who are being targeted by employers for reductions in penalty rates. The Australian Industry Group and the Hair & Beauty Industry Association have made application to the Fair Work Commission to cut Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for hairdressers. They are using the precedent established by the recent changes to the award that were made by the Fair Work Commission in the hospitality and restaurant industry. Labor said that that would be the thin end of the wedge, and we were right. Employers are now using that precedent to flow it on to other industries, and hairdressing won't be the last if no-one stands up for them.

Hairdressers are one of the lowest paid trades there is—and a great example, unfortunately, of the gender pay gap in action. Hairdressers are predominantly women. They work long hours into the evening and over the weekends so we can all look good. The AiG and the Hair & Beauty Industry Association seek to widen that gender pay gap by cutting the penalty rates of hardworking hairdressers. The AiG and the Hair & Beauty Industry Association stand condemned for this action. The Turnbull government could stop this, of course, by supporting hardworking hairdressers and Labor's bill to stop the cuts to take-home pay. Supporting Labor's bill could stop this action being taken. The government's failure to protect the nation's lowest paid and most vulnerable workers is shameful. I stand with the hairdressers of Australia to fight to protect their wages and the Australian Workers Union.(Time expired)