PRINTERS TO PAY PENALTY IF PREMIERS AWARD WORLD CUP HOLIDAY

Print businesses will be slugged with unwanted extra costs if the Matildas dream run in the Women’s World Cup prompts the state premiers to give the workers the day off to celebrate through an extra public holiday.

If a holiday is awarded, any print business that does require its staff to work on that day will have to pay 250 per cent of normal rates. Staff though, are under no obligation to work, it is entirely their decision. If staff are not required to work, print businesses will have to pay the normal wage rate for the day, even though no work will take place.

Print business owners can also negotiate with staff to switch the day off to another mutually agreed day.

Print businesses have already been contacting employers’ association PVCA with their concerns, and PVCA has been in touch with the offices of the various state premiers to reflect those concerns. Charles Watson, policy, IR and governance manager at PVCA said, “The prime minister says a day off work to celebrate the Matildas would be an economic boost. That may be true for the hospitality industry, but for print, and any manufacturing, it certainly is not.”

The decision to award the holiday or not lies exclusively with the state premiers, not the prime minister. Only the national holidays – Christmas, Easter, Australia Day and Anzac Day are federal – all others are state. So far, Chris Minns, premier of New South Wales, is the only premier to have come out and said he will award a public holiday if the Matildas win the trophy, with most of the other premiers avoiding the issue. 

If a public holiday is awarded, the earliest it could take place would be a week on Monday, as there is a process, and part of that is gazetting a notice, which must be done at least seven days before the actual date of the intended holiday. The final takes place this Sunday.

Watson said, “We all want the Matildas to succeed, but print businesses should not have to pay a price for that. An ad hoc holiday that penalises business is not the way to go.

“PVCA acknowledges that the Women’s World Cup has been good for the print industry; the highly visible graphics show the best of sign and display, the guides, handbooks, and posters are invaluable, the soccer shirt printing is enabling a generation of youngsters to identify with the team, but for small businesses in particular, having to pay a 250 per cent rate means they may potentially lose money on jobs they have promised customers.”

Even if the premiers agree to a holiday, it may be a moot point, as the Matildas have to get past the European champions England tonight to even get to the final. While Australia have the two best players on the pitch, in the brilliant Mary Fowler and the lethal Sam Kerr, and have what will be a raucous home crowd behind them, England are a machine, and are favourites to go through.