Reid vows to protect penalty rates
Penalty and overtime rates for millions of Australian workers are one step closer to protection enshrined in law, according to Member for Robertson Dr Gordon Reid.
Legislation will be changed to incorporate a high-level principle into the Fair Work Act that operates alongside the modern awards objective, ensuring penalty rates and overtime can't be rolled up into a single rate of pay where it leaves any individual employee worse off, he said.
"The Bill will protect crucial entitlements for around 2.6 million modern award-reliant workers, many who count on penalty rates to make ends meet.
"Employers in the retail, clerical and banking sectors have made applications to the Fair Work Commission to trade away the penalty rates of lower paid workers from awards, leaving some workers worse off.
"The Bill ensures that in applications like these, no worker sees their pay packet reduced."
Dr Reid said he would always protect workers' penalty rates.
"I know how important penalty rates are to Central Coast workers especially frontline healthcare workers."
SOURCE:
Media release, 22 Jul 2025
Gordon Reid, Member for Robertson