rehctub I will try, Saturday a public holiday, easter is a chance to get the family in the car and head for the coast.
4 days away from work 5 if like most you bank, not take a rostered day of till this weekend.
Aussie tradition for many years, mum and dad may both work and only see one another in passing.
If Saturday is a public holiday? both can go north together.
If not? one or both come home early to work that day.
long weekends can be the only family time , some work 70 hours even more a week.
Pay rates? in every industry I know, but not all I am sure, Saturday rates are 2 at time and a half rest double time.
Now public holidays? most are 8 hours holiday pay, 7.6 at time and one half, rest double time.
Now some will not agree, my members question it every time but that is how double time and one half is made up most times.
If workers and the boss have an EBA enterprise bargaining agreement in place it may change conditions if it mentions them.
If not award conditions stay in place.
construction sites pre workchoices saw this weekend a lock down one no work.
Workers working even more than 6 12 hour days need such a rest.
Workchoices see,s some contractors leaving the wife and kids 100,s of klms away to return to work this Saturday.
not fair mate in no way fair.
I want you to understand massive amounts of overtime are worked in this country and travel time to and from 12 hour shifts can bring travel deaths as up to 3 hours can be involved.
Rest is the best cure for weariness.

rehctub I need to expand on wages, we must not be blinkered workers are not always nine to fiver's or always in factory's.
Some work no over time some work more than double ordinary hours every week of the year.
A small but growing number of bosses and workers are exploring what is the future for most of us, annualized salary's.
That is putting average hours worked over say the last 5 years along side average incomes.
then setting normal hours at the actual average worked in that period.
Averaging out the wages earned will give an all in annual salary divided by 52 gives pays each week known income known hours worked.
one pay rate all hours.
except!
If the average hours per annum is 70 per week, but at years end it is 72 hours the extra 2 hours brings extra rewards.
Say extra annual leave or pay.
Some work so little it overtime no need for change exists but some benefit and it is the future for many.
And worth a thought.
hope you find it here I see no point in answering your question in both threads

Well Tokyo and Belly, I see niether of you have answered my question.

Why not? Don't you understand it, or, as I suspect, are niether of you able to provide a factual answer.

I ask again. Where is the trade off between the government allocating an additional public holiday and the employer being compensated?

I to agree that ALL BUSINESSES should be closed for the whole four days however it has been the push by the majors, along with poor management from our 'toothless tiger' government departments that have created this situation.

When I was a kid our trading hours were 8 till 5 Mon to Fri then 8 till 11 Sat. No exceptions.

Why then did they allow the extended trading hours because life back then was simple and we all coped.

Now let's turn the tide and say, how would you feel if we as employers were given (1) day per year where we could work our employees for zero pay?

How many would refuse to turn up?

Do you think this would be fair to the employer given that they have to pay a penalty for an additional PH

It is all well and good to say 'you can close if you like', but if we choose to close for maintinance we still have to pay wages. Where is the balance?

I have a good mate who has several shops and buys the very best of equipment for the sole purpose of minimising staff. Why? Because he gets rewarded for buying the best 'IMPORTED' equipment and gets penilised for emplying staff. Now 'Aint that a shame!

Let's take a look.

Staff = normal time, time and a hlf, double time, compo, sickies, super.

Equipment = Tax deduction + tax deduction + tax dedection !
Any wonder hey!

Getting off topic but i'm sure you get my point.

Rehctub this is the first time I have ever seen you debate like this remember you are not the only small business man in Australia.
Believe it or not I once employed 5 workers all got above award wages.
Now why should the government give you a trade of for extended trading hours?
Isn't it true most shop owners wanted them?
And equally true profits rise with those extra hours?
You have it in your hands to sit down and work out wages times worked a host of things you can put into an agreement with your workers if you try.
If I had a 38 hour week,I wish, I may well take Monday and Tuesday of instead of the weekend but you have the option of closing your shop.
Seen the weekend surcharges in say restaurants have we?
I think my explanation of holiday Saturday and true overtime worked was on target , how about you look at post two?
Say ok you work 45 hours a week to a worker give an inflated pay rate all hours then by negotiation work out how many Saturdays are to be worked per year?
Flexibility is the future but not without the right pay rates.
Bitterness old mate is not going to change a thing.

rehctub please do not think I am putting the boot into you it is not my intention.
I have to admit some find things in my posts I did not intend them to say or mean.
And we often miss understand another's intent as the written word is not the same as spoken, but mate!
RE read your last two posts.
I can not find the question you asked in your last one.
I came back because you put your case well in debate and I was concerned that I had not addressed a question you asked until my last post.
NOT guilty it was not asked.
I do read every post in threads I get into , some do not and trip over their own feet, it is wrong to speak but not listen, to post but not read.
While you and I debate from opposite sides we should remember truth may be in other directions we may both be wrong.

rehctub,

Again thank you but- you can see its hopeless trying to explain it to these people.

They just simply haven’t got a clue.
Don’t understand the slightest tinniest bit about Government or anything trades economy or anything else for that matter.

This is typical of the attitudes of these people.

You got one person saying; oh take the risk and something about super.
What they don’t get is if the country goes belly up which its going to with much more of this type of leadership) there just wont be any super for anyone.
That’s right. You heard me. All these people that voted for those total; fools are supporting their wage rise by taking off the sick elderly and turning Australia into the old Russia.

So far this new mongrel Government has tried to take the few lousy dollars the Howard Government gave to people who care for the sick elderly and disenabled

.Can you believe it. Labor may have been a battlers party once but they are now like the mafia imop only with less brains. At least the others can handle figures and understand what’s a clever investment and move.

Oh my God how low can they go? These poor bastards get 4 cents and hour and save the Government billions of dollars each year.

Then this Government FORCED Neighbors to spy on people in the street that are on pensions.

What an outrageous dangerous low thing to do. Sending neighbors to neighbours houses wired up to take conversations.

Perhaps they should CEASE spending that money on private investigators.
So your pay rise belly and the other person WILL tip the country and WILL be taken from the poorest of people but the bottom line is you don’t care.
It will also CLOSE many business and we have seen MOST go off shore so Der! It’s not an idle threat.
It’s a privilege to work and you should look after your boss and thank him not hold the attitude why should he own a business and me not.