Part 5/18:
One critical issue highlighted is the union’s desire to keep penalties for weekend and overtime work intact. If workers move to a four-day week with standard pay, the traditional penalty rates for weekend work could be eliminated, leading to potential losses for workers who rely on those premiums. The early discussions often overlook how this could incentivize businesses to shift weekend staffing onto fewer days, effectively re-engineering employment conditions to save costs but possibly at the expense of workers’ wages.