Restaurants, cafes and retail outlets in Mudgee have joined an Easter campaign led by the NSW Business Chamber to end excessive penalty rates for public holidays.
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Mudgee Chamber of Commerce president Greg Dowker – who also owns Sajo’s and the Winning Post Motor Inn – said with people choosing to spend public holidays with their families, business who open on days like Good Friday and Easter Saturday, are often left trying to cover the costs.
“During public holidays, you’ve got times when they are no customers coming in what so ever, and yet you’re still paying your staff $55 an hour,” he said.
“It’s really a numbers type thing, and the reality is most businesses won’t open because they can’t afford to open.”
“It’s really a numbers type thing, and the reality is most businesses won’t open because they can’t afford to open.”
Mr Dowker said that while cafes and restaurants could add public holiday surcharges to their menus, the amount that can be added to each item was not enough to make up for what you had to pay staff.
“Easter is going to be especially hard on businesses because there are four days of consecutive public holiday rates,” he said.
Central Orana West NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager, Vicki Seccombe, said cafes, restaurants and shops across the Central West had been given posters to put up in their shop windows that apologised to customers for being closed, or explained that they were open they were leaning on family members to help serve customers.
“We know this Easter with its four back-to-back public holidays will create enormous pressure on local business owners across the Central West who want to remain open to serve their customers, but at the same time can’t afford to open their doors due to the excessive penalty rates they have to pay staff,” she said.
The posters each come with the message “Tell Canberra something has to change” and ask customers to register their concern via toobigtoignore.org.au.
“The NSW Business Chamber does not want to see penalty rates abolished.
“We believe that sensible penalty rates should be paid for certain weekend and Public Holiday times, however it’s ridiculous that penalty rates are now so excessive that businesses are forced to close to avoid making losses,” Ms Seccombe said.