Unionist rejects cost claims

Press, 9 February 1989, Page 6

Unionist rejects cost claims

Political reporter The $220-a-week basic ; pay of most hotel workers ■ had not ruined the tourI ism industry, stopped •women getting work, or ’ ripped off the system, the ’ secretary of the Service ; Workers’ Federation, Mr Rick Barker, said last evening. * He said that the falter- * ing tourist industry today * had precisely the same * award as when it was * booming before last year. I How could hotel workers - have made the difference, ' Mr Barker asked. - Mr Barker highlighted ■three points that he «: claimed Mr Douglas had : misunderstood. * • Although an award pro- * vision would permit tea or

workers to work a 10-hour day, four days a week, as claimed by Mr Douglas, no-one actually did this. • It was incorrect to say that casual hotel workers would have to be paid for eight hours when they worked four hours. “Seventy-five per cent of the workers are part-time or casual and they are all paid for the number of hours they do.” • Mr Barker said that as 65 per cent of hotel workers were women it was impossible to say male work practices stopped women getting work in his union. Any suggestion that his members, with their basic take-home pay of $220-a--week should get less pay was ridiculous, Mr Barker fesaid.