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| KFC says workers 'no worse off' for not receiving penalty rates | KFC says workers 'no worse off' for not receiving penalty rates |
| (5 months later) | |
| Fast-food giant tells a Senate inquiry the company ‘haven’t paid penalty rates in a very long time’ due to an agreement offering a higher base rate of pay | |
| Australian Associated Press | |
| Thu 24 Aug 2017 09.02 BST | |
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| Workers at fast-food giant KFC haven’t been paid penalty rates for years but are no worse off due to an agreement offering a higher base rate of pay, the company argues. | Workers at fast-food giant KFC haven’t been paid penalty rates for years but are no worse off due to an agreement offering a higher base rate of pay, the company argues. |
| At a Senate committee hearing in Melbourne on Thursday, the senator Nick Xenophon suggested the deal was far from a good one for staff. | At a Senate committee hearing in Melbourne on Thursday, the senator Nick Xenophon suggested the deal was far from a good one for staff. |
| “It’s impossible for a KFC worker who works nights and weekends to not be worse off, as there are no penalty rates,” he said. | “It’s impossible for a KFC worker who works nights and weekends to not be worse off, as there are no penalty rates,” he said. |
| The South Australian senator is part of the education and employment references committee examining proposed changes to penalty rates amid union fears workers will be left out of pocket. | The South Australian senator is part of the education and employment references committee examining proposed changes to penalty rates amid union fears workers will be left out of pocket. |
| The KFC spokesman Robert Phipps defended the company’s approach, which he said allowed flexibility and fairness for workers. | The KFC spokesman Robert Phipps defended the company’s approach, which he said allowed flexibility and fairness for workers. |
| “We haven’t paid penalty rates in a very long time … coming up to about eight years we haven’t paid Sunday penalty rates,” he said. | “We haven’t paid penalty rates in a very long time … coming up to about eight years we haven’t paid Sunday penalty rates,” he said. |
| It means that no matter what day of the week workers are able to do their shifts, all get the same remuneration, he added. | It means that no matter what day of the week workers are able to do their shifts, all get the same remuneration, he added. |
| The company has an enterprise agreement with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association in place where workers are paid a 9% loading on top of the base rate. | The company has an enterprise agreement with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association in place where workers are paid a 9% loading on top of the base rate. |
| KFC is one of several large employers giving evidence to the committee, along with supermarkets Coles and Woolworths. | KFC is one of several large employers giving evidence to the committee, along with supermarkets Coles and Woolworths. |
| In a submission to the committee, Woolworths Group noted its enterprise agreement had expired and the company said there was little prospect of negotiating a new deal that would be approved by the Fair Work Commission. | In a submission to the committee, Woolworths Group noted its enterprise agreement had expired and the company said there was little prospect of negotiating a new deal that would be approved by the Fair Work Commission. |
| The inquiry aims to find out if large companies benefit by employing workers on an enterprise agreement that has lower penalty rates on weekends and public holidays than those set by the standard award. | The inquiry aims to find out if large companies benefit by employing workers on an enterprise agreement that has lower penalty rates on weekends and public holidays than those set by the standard award. |
| Industrial relations | |
| Business (Australia) | |
| Australian politics | |
| news | |
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