Canberra workers rostered on for Saturday or Sunday shifts which fall on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day will receive public holiday loadings as part of new laws passed by the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
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Currently some ACT workers don't receive public holiday loading when the days fall on weekends, because they have not been officially designated as public holidays in the territory.
The changes will also see replacement public holidays scheduled on the following Monday or Tuesday when needed.
Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations Minister Mick Gentleman said the new rules recognised there was an increasing "seven day workforce" in the ACT.
He said the changes brought Canberra into line with other jurisdictions and ensured workers received fair compensation when they were required to be at work during the Christmas period.
“Australians value public holidays as a time to share with family and friends, and I believe it is important to give the opportunity for all members of the working community to spend these days with their loved ones,” Mr Gentleman said.
“This bill gives a fair go to workers from a range of occupations, from nursing staff to restaurant and retail workers. In addition, proper financial compensation will now be given to workers who do make the sacrifice to work on these significant days."
In 2014 Christmas Day will fall on a Thursday and is already designated as a public holiday.
Next year, Boxing Day will fall on a Saturday and Monday December 28 will serve as a replacement public holiday.
New Year’s Day 2015 also falls on a Thursday.
Mr Gentleman said he hoped similar changes could be introduced for Easter Sunday and ANZAC Day in the future.
“The Territory is a regional hub for many employees and it is important to give workers who travel into Canberra certainty around entitlements on these days,” Mr Gentleman said.
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association assistant secretary Bernie Smith said workers would now have rights to reasonably refuse to work if festive holidays fell on weekends.
“This will make a world of difference to weekend workers in the ACT,” he said.
“Weekend workers give up so much family time throughout the year to serve the community on weekends – they deserve to have the opportunity to take time out with their families to celebrate special holidays like Christmas Day and Boxing Day, regardless of which day of the week they fall on."
Mr Smith said claims the changes would hurt small businesses in Canberra were "absurd".
Opposition economic and business development spokesman Brendan Smyth said small businesses would suffer from the changes.
Mr Smyth said future Christmas public holiday trading should be monitored.
"What people may find is some businesses will simply shut rather than open and pay large overtime payments ... or indeed the owners may just choose to do the work themselves offering perhaps reduced services," he said.
"Those that have premises in the big malls will have no choice. If the mall is open, normally their contract would suggest they be open at the same time."