{"id":8016,"date":"2020-03-22T09:16:15","date_gmt":"2020-03-21T22:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/?p=8016"},"modified":"2025-07-28T13:59:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T03:59:13","slug":"emergencysupportforhospoworkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/development.uwu.org.au\/staging\/archive\/emergencysupportforhospoworkers\/","title":{"rendered":"Emergency national action needed to support displaced hospitality workers"},"content":{"rendered":"

United Workers Union is calling on the Federal Government to commit to an emergency rescue package to help close to a million hospitality workers left without work from the COVID-19 crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The union, which represents 150,000 members nationally, has today released a plan to help hospitality workers in crisis, demanding the Federal Government deliver an emergency $2500 payment for all displaced hospitality workers and a basic income payment while they are out of work of $740 per week (federal minimum wage) for at least the rest of 2020.<\/p>\n

The union\u2019s National Secretary Tim Kennedy said the hospitality industry was in meltdown and 79 per cent of the workforce were casuals with no access to paid leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are hearing horror stories daily from our members across all industries of the impacts of losing work. We know hospitality is already one of the most insecure industries, with wage theft and exploitation of workers widespread,\u201d Mr Kennedy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHospitality workers need urgent action now or we will find they are not able to pay their bills, put food on their tables or keep a roof over their heads.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is why we are calling on the Federal Government to step in immediately and make available a $2500 emergency payment plus a basic income payment while they are out of work of $740 per week (federal minimum wage) for at least the rest of 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, we need ongoing support for struggling hospitality businesses that do the right thing, we need to address exploitation in the sector and we need a real plan to make the industry sustainable into the future. Importantly, any measures should also extend to migrant workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

This weekend, the union\u2019s hospitality arm Hospo Voice launched a new online tool \u2018I Lost My Hospo Shift<\/a>\u2019 to shine a light on the crisis facing the workers in the industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barista Hollie Bolton is one of thousands of hospitality workers to share their story of losing a job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went into work last Friday for my regular shift, and that evening I got an email from my employer explaining it is a stressful time for small business and that we should prepare for a reduction in hours. When I checked my roster for the next week I had no hours at all,\u201d Ms Bolton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need the government to provide replacement wages now. This crisis is exposing the cracks in an industry built on insecure work. With no safety net to catch us, we\u2019re going to fall through them.<\/p>\n

Up to a third of the hospitality workforce are migrants on temporary visas who have no access to government assistance and many have no way of returning home. Jocelyn is a barista from Taiwan who works in a caf\u00e9 in Melbourne\u2019s CBD and also shared her story this weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have just lost 10 hours of work but things are changing so quickly I might not have a job in a day or two. If I lose my job I will have no income. I can\u2019t get Centrelink. I can\u2019t leave Australia because the border is shut. What do I do? I have rent to pay, and I need to feed myself,\u201d Jocelyn said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMigrant workers are the backbone of hospitality.\u00a0We need the government to support us.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

United Workers Union\u2019s plan to support hospitality workers in crisis includes:<\/strong><\/p>\n