30 March 2020
The SDA is pleased the Morrison government has heeded the call from unions and employers to introduce a wage subsidy to minimise the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 emergency.
The JobKeeper payment will enable tens of thousands of retail and fast food workers to retain their jobs and put food on family table.
The SDA, together with the ACTU, will engage with the government on details of the package:
- With 100,000 retail workers stood down in the last week alone, the SDA is concerned some retailers will not have the cash flow to survive until May 1st when payments start to flow
- This could mean more workers stood down and more businesses folding than would be the case if payment began more rapidly
- The payment should apply to casuals, who may not have worked all of the last 12 months for one employer, but could have reasonably expected to work now.
- The payment should also apply to the 1.7million visa workers who have been working
The SDA thanks the government for listening to its joint approach with the Australian Retailers Association as well as the initiatives taken by the ACTU and a range of employer groups.
This initiative should keep more people in work, more outlets in business, reduce the depth of the contraction and make the economic bounce back quicker after the COVID-19 emergency has passed.
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