Coalition seat voters back penalty rates

Polling suggests the Turnbull government would be in strife if Sunday penalty rates are slashed.

Polling suggests the Turnbull government would be in strife if Sunday penalty rates are slashed. (AAP)

Voters in the five most marginal coalition government-held federal seats across NSW have voiced their distaste about slashing Sunday penalty rates.

Hospitality workers union United Voice commissioned the February 14 survey ahead of a long-overdue Fair Work Commission decision on streamlining weekend penalty rates.

Opposition to cutting Sunday penalties ranged between 57 and 64 per cent across the five seats, while close to half of respondents to the ReachTell poll said they would be more likely to vote for a party which promised to overturn any Sunday penalty rate cuts.

The survey of about 700 residents in each of the electorates of Robertson, Gilmore, Page, Reid and Banks also found:

* Between 65 and 83 per cent of people in all of the electorates said it was easy to find places open for a meal on a Sunday;

* Less than 10 per cent of people were opposed to compensating people for working anti-social hours;

* 70 per cent of voters believed businesses underpaying staff and avoiding taxes by paying cash was a bigger problem than penalty rates for hospitality workers sending some businesses broke;

* About 75 per cent of voters across all electorates believed Labor was more likely than the coalition to protect penalty rates.

Labor Leader Bill Shorten recently promised to protect the take-home pay of workers in legislation if the Fair Work Commission decides to reduce Sunday penalties, saying he would consider changing the rules.

His pledge did not go as far as the Greens, who want to legislate a floor rate.

The coalition government has consistently pledged to leave the determination of penalty rates to the Fair Work Commission.