ALP 2016 election campaign policy on protecting penalty rates for Australian workers. 

Labor understands that penalty rates are not a luxury; they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for the 4.5 million Australians that rely on them.  

Penalty rates are not only critical to the individuals and their families who rely on them; if you reduce the take home pay of low-paid workers, you reduce the amount they spend, which will negatively impact the economy as a whole.

Hospitality workers are in the bottom 30 per cent of Australian income earners. Along with hospitality and food services, retail has the largest proportion of low paid workers in Australia.

Women make up a disproportionate share of workers in both the retail and hospitality sectors accounting for 55 per cent of all those employed.