SOME Dubbo businesses that do not open on a Sunday could be encouraged to do so if penalty rates they are required to pay employees drop to Saturday rates, according to Dubbo Chamber of Commerce president Matt Wright.
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Mr Wright's comments follow the release of the Productivity Commission's draft report on Tuesday, detailing potential changes to workplace relations laws.
It signalled penalty rates for cafe, entertainment and retail workers on Sundays - usually double the rate of their base pay - could fall to the same level as Saturdays.
"We know a lot of businesses that don't open on a Sunday because of penalty rates and if they do open it's marginal," Mr Wright said.
"Maybe this will make it worth their while to open."
Mr Wright said bringing Sundays in line with Saturdays would not be "a massive cut" for many employees, but he nevertheless expected unions to oppose the proposed change.
"The NSW Business Chamber has been pushing for some time to get penalty rates on the agenda, and now they are, so that's a positive," he said.
David McElrea, NSW spokesperson for United Voice, a union that represents hospitality workers, said the Productivity Commission had effectively singled out a particular group of workers and treated them like "second-class citizens", as the penalty rates proposal would not apply to other workers, including emergency workers such as paramedics. "They're entitled to ask why there's a two-tiered system," Mr McElrea said.
Responding to suggestions smaller businesses would be more likely to open on Sundays if penalty rates were lowered, Mr McElrea said there was "no evidence to suggest hospitality was in crisis".
"Our suspicion is that businesses will pocket that in extra profits, they have a clear personal interest in this happening," he said.
"In regional areas, where wages tend to be lower than in the metropolitan area, there will be less money flowing into the local communities.
"The money is better in the pockets of workers than business owners who may or may not live in Dubbo. In the case of the much larger businesses, the business owners most certainly won't live in Dubbo either.
"Tony Abbott recently ruled out any increase in taxation on wealthy retirees who get significant super benefits. If he can rule that out he can rule out a wage cut for some of Australia's lowest-paid workers."
Mr McElrea said United Voice was also disappointed the only centres outside state and territory capitals where hearings were listed to take place next month were Ipswich and Bendigo.
