United Workers Union welcomes the decision by the Cook Labor Government to review the schedule and extent of public holidays in Western Australia.
Currently WA has fewer public holidays than any other state or territory. Victorian, ACT and NT workers enjoy an extra two days off per year and all other states have an extra public holiday.
WA workers who are rostered on or required to work on Easter Saturday are penalised further because the state is the only mainland jurisdiction that doesn’t recognise that day as a public holiday.
This means hospitality workers, paramedics, aged care workers, health workers and others who are looking after West Australians over Easter are missing out on public holiday penalty rates they deserve for working while other Australians have a four-day Easter break.
Carolyn Smith, WA State Secretary of the United Workers Union, said it was time West Australians gained parity with the other states on the number of public holidays and the Easter Saturday holiday.
“Our members will welcome this review and the solutions that are being considered,” Ms Smith said.
“It’s a long-standing issue that the public-holiday playing field has been tilted against West Australians, and it’s great the WA Government is considering important changes to address that.
“West Australians work just as hard as workers in the eastern states, and are just as deserving of public holidays, and this review is a chance to demonstrate that.
“It’s also a chance to explain to nay-sayers that bringing WA into line with other states will not cause the sky to fall in.
“In addition, an aged care worker in Perth who is required to work on Easter Saturday is earning wages at a much lower rate than a worker in Melbourne that day.
“They’re doing the same work caring for vulnerable people for relatively low rates of pay. Extra penalty rates on public holidays makes a big difference to a low paid worker.
“Again, the review is a great opportunity to examine this issue.”
Ms Smith confirmed the union would advocate for at least one extra additional public holiday, and Easter Saturday to become a public holiday, in a submission to the Government review.