George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Moore, once again, I am surprised that you raised this issue, because it is the union that represents hospitality workers and workers in the food sector which has bargained away their penalty rates to a level significantly lower than they would have received under the new determination by the Fair Work Commission some weeks ago. I gave you an example of the KFC worker who will be $3.11 worse off as a result of the agreement the union negotiated than he or she would be under the new Sunday penalty rate arrangements determined by the Fair Work Commission.

Let me give you another example from the same sector—a McDonald's worker. Under the Fair Work Commission's penalty rate determination, a McDonald's worker would receive a Sunday penalty rate of $24.30 per hour, but, under the arrangements negotiated for them by their union, the union-sanctioned pay rate is only $21.08 an hour—$3.22 an hour less. (Time expired)