THE peak body of Catholic employers in NSW has rejected the Productivity Commission's argument that cutting workers' penalty rates would result in increased job opportunities.
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The Catholic Commission for Employment Relations' executive director, Tony Farley, visited Moree Centrecare on Monday and discussed workplace mission statements and values, personal values and the commission's recommendation to reduce Sunday penalty rates to align them with Saturday rates would hurt low-paid workers.
"An attack on penalty rates is an attack on the most vulnerable in our community," he said.
The commission represents employers of more than 60,000 workers in the Catholic sector in areas including social services, aged care, schools and healthcare.
"As a major employer, we simply don't agree with the argument that stripping workers of their take-home pay is going to be good for business or for employment," Mr Farley said.
"There's no evidence whatsoever to support the claims that cutting low-paid workers' pay even further is going to be beneficial for us as a nation.
"People can't spend money they don't have and cutting pay ends up hitting businesses between the eyes."
Mr Farley said any reduction or removal of penalty rates will disproportionately affect low-paid workers and their families, who would then need to work extra hours to receive the same income.
"That's not good for anyone," he said.
"The Catholic Church has rejected previous attempts to abolish penalty rates because we're gravely concerned about the negative impact it would have on low-paid, vulnerable workers.
"Cutting penalty rates would also have a detrimental impact on rest, recreation and family time, which should be a serious concern for everyone. I don't see the big end of town offering to cut their incomes for the sake of the economy.
"Australians don't want to live in a society where a small group of super-wealthy people are served by an ever-increasing group of have-nots – we can do much better than that.
"While evening or weekend work provides flexibility for some workers, for a disproportionate number of employees working non-standard hours in precarious and low paid jobs, penalty rates help to protect their living standards."
Regional towns and rural communities like Moree would be negatively impacted by a cut to both their take-home pay and in-turn the disposable income that locals would have to spend in their rural and regional economies.
