Changes to IR laws have brought about much tension between those paying wages and those saying it's only fair to be compensated for working weekends and public holidays.

Well, how about this for a compromise. Manditory surcharges.

It should apply to everyting, petrol, food, hardware, produce, everything.

Say 5% on Saturdays, 10% on Sundays and $20% on public holidays.

This will ensure businesses can survive, wages can continue to attract loading and the user pays for the privilage.

Sure the percentages can be tinkered with to get the mix right.

After all, a compromise is meant to be a win win.

with your typical blind/sight
i note the poor shift workers
are yet again getting short shrift

its just a shame we cant get the serfs to work for tips
how much of the 'surcharge' you going to retain
[we know the workers doing your work..
wont be getting any]

but lets look at it for a servo
50 dollars fuel plus $2.50
plus $5.00
plus $10.00

so thats $2 for you
$4 for you
$8 for you

and you did nothing
exdept force workers work
24/7..[so you can reap off the cream

little wonder your getting the re[plies[contempt]
your question/suggestion deserves

your not that red head liar are you
or that numb nutt greenie...or jonny howard's dopple ganger

i know you must be that swan diver..
saying no more rivers of gold..
cause we know the deal we done

with big foreign duel passport holding
uber elite/boss miners...and ther capitalist capoes

lobbying for ever more smoking taxes
and carbon taxes increased elect-icity /water charges
and flood levie's..

upon their fixed contract workers..
still tied to howards work you peons[sceme]..

..*for three more years

bah hunn bug

reaping the cream
off others hard work

just cause you got no life
dont mean your workers havnt earned one

Of course, if trading on weekends and public holidays is unprofitable due to penalty rates, businesses could simply choose to close their doors for those days. I really don't see the problem.

How about you just don't trade on Sundays and public holidays, and leave that market to those who can afford it? Of the people I know who run small businesses (and there are quite a few, including one of your fellow butchers), none harp on as constantly as you about how their staff's rights are driving them into the ground. Either they are content to run a low profit margin or their businesses are simply more profitable than yours. Either way, I'd be much happier working for someone who showed less resentment towards his/her employees than you do.

Besides that, do you really think a surcharge would fix anything? As OUG pointed out: $50.00 for fuel one day, $60.00 the next. What day are you going to fill up? But your servo owner will still have the running costs of a day's trade to deal with, despite a likely downturn in sales.

Just noticed the response from morganzola. I live in a small community of less than 1000 residents. We have an award winning Bakery, which is a family business, and employs locals to help with the load, especially when mum or dad has to care for the children, all (3) under school age. This small business has brought wealth and prosperity to the community; and also provided a stopping point for cyclists on their 30-50Km circuits, especially on Sundays. Unfortunately Sunday, which was also our favourite day to enjoy brunch with the kids and grandkids, is now too uneconomical with the cost of wages, to be a viable trading day. Pity for the village all round. I think a standard surcharge would be a good thing. Let the customers decide whether they want to pay the extra for a store to trade with staff that they must pay - isn't it up to 240% loading on Sunday/Public Holidays

Where I live there are many weekend surcharges in place within the hopsitality industry.

The cost of penalty rates is already built into the prices of many products and services. If the surcharge comes in will the prices of those goods which have the penalty factored be reduced?

Can't see it happening?