Turnbull faces protesters in Brisbane

Malcolm Turnbull has been mobbed by unionists protesting about Sunday penalty rates when he visited a Brisbane business.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

The Turnbull government is pledging $5 million to protect species at risk of dying out. (AAP)

Union protesters have mobbed the prime minister as he visited a Brisbane business.

Malcolm Turnbull was surrounded by police as he entered Gilimbaa digital creative agency on Friday.

Protesters arrived 20 minutes earlier, led by a man wearing a paper mache bobble head of Mr Turnbull, along with a Panama hat and a Hawaiian shirt and a briefcase full of fake money.

They also carried a banana lounge as part of their protest against Mr Turnbull and his investments in the Cayman Islands, insisting the July 2 election was a contest between hard hats and top hats.

About 50 protesters chanted "save our weekend rates" as they awaited his arrival.

"We're here to ask why Malcolm Turnbull gives major corporations tax cuts, gives people earning over $80,000 a year tax cuts and wants to rip away the wages of some of the lowest-paid workers in our community," yelled Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Ros McLennan.

If Sunday rates for hospitality and retail workers were cut, it would be the single largest pay cut in Australia's history, she said.

About 400,000 Queensland retail and hospitality workers would take a pay cut, while $1.2 billion would be ripped out of the state's economy each year.

It wouldn't be long before other industries were subject to pay cuts too, Ms McLennan said.

"This is a pay cut that they don't like, they don't deserve, they can't afford, but with the election just around the corner... By God they can do something about it.

"Put the Liberal-National Party last, because it's where they put you."

The union's office is just 750 metres from the business Mr Turnbull was visiting to announce the government's plan to encourage indigenous entrepreneurs.

The Fair Work Commission will decide whether Sunday penalty rates should be reduced to Saturday levels for retail and hospitality.

Mr Turnbull told reporters the government had no plans to change penalty rates, insisting it was a matter for the independent tribunal.

He said the protesters should be demonstrating where Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was campaigning instead, because of his chaotic position on the issue.

Labor has said it will respect the independence of the commission and any decision it makes.

It will intervene with a government submission if it wins the election. Unlike the Greens, it won't enshrine penalty rates in law.

ACTU boss Ged Kearney defended Labor's position, insisting it had made submissions to the commission to protect penalty rates.

"Labor has promised that they will do what they can to make sure people's take home pay is not affected," she told reporters.

"The Liberal party have not done that. They have actively worked against penalty rates."


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world