Peter raised a number of points in his letter which require comment. Firstly he trotted out the usual ALP/Union mantra about the Royal Commission into trade unions being a smear campaign. 

With union people like Craig Thompson and the string of union and ALP crooks, I reckon they do a good enough job of smearing themselves what with stealing Union members’ subs and lining their own pockets courtesy of the office they hold.

Peter sticks with the long tried union tactic of promoting and maintaining the worker vs management conflict model to justify union existence. 

He should know that I too am a worker as are most business operators. In fact Pete, if you went for another walk down the street on weekends and public holidays, have a close look at who is working in those local small businesses and you will see that they are the owner/proprietors in most cases. 

They can’t afford to pay the weekend penalties so they have to work themselves. I agree it is a different story in big businesses.

And Pete, I have been a member of a union way back when I worked in the coal mines. I have also worked as a baker through the night when needed in a past business of mine. And I have owned and worked in other successful small businesses.

So mate, business owners are often the hardest workers in their business. When in the bakery and looking for employees we found some couldn’t work on Tuesdays as that was their shopping day, Wednesday was no good as that was tennis or golf, Thursday was babysitting the grandkids. 

But weekends were PREFERRED. And they all declined full time jobs in favour of casual as that rate is higher again and they work when they wish – not when I would like them to.

So many work overtime, and on weekends, by their choice, not by compulsion – much like you, to get the penalty rates. In fact some even decline advancement to a salaried position where penalties often do not apply. 

Perhaps it would be better to reduce the penalties so that business operators can employ more people. The result - less unemployment, less welfare, more money to be spent by more paid employees in our city’s businesses.

So the higher the wages costs in Australia, the less enthusiastic are entrepreneurs to get into a small business that employs people. 

That’s why we now have computers, the internet, robots, self-serve checkouts and so on as they do not take holidays, get sick nor get penalty rates.

And despite many (including me) resisting the push to use the self-serve checkouts the big companies just charge on as those checkouts are far less costly to run than employees.

Also, keep an eye on Bluescope Steel in Wollongong. The taxpayers are now asked to subsidise that company so they can continue to pay employees more than they produce – just like Ford and GMH. It’s the beginning of the end there I fear.

Retaining excessive penalties will bring the end of small businesses and jobs. Big business will go overseas so no jobs. Then - nothing to spend.

Again thanks for this important debate

Grant Pearce, Goulburn.