Victorian business to be hit by cost of grand final Friday public holiday

VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone warned today that, at a time when Victoria will welcome a significant number of interstate and international visitors, parts of Melbourne’s CBD will be like a ghost-town this Friday, as the public holiday will make it uneconomic for many businesses to open.

"The cost to pay Victoria’s almost 2 million full time employees not to come to work could reach $543 million for the day," Mr Stoe said.

"As a Victorian business, this holiday will cost VECCI over $120,000 through lost revenue, paying people not to come to work and operating our advice line service to members and clients.

"The impact will be felt throughout Victorian business."

Mr Stone said examples include:

• Additional wages costs of $14,000 for a supermarket operator due to penalty rates.
• A building materials supplier paying $9,500 for its 50 full and part-time staff not to come to work.
• Some health sector operators will pay over $200,000 in additional wages for the day and, given the industry they operate in, must remain open.
• An adult casual shop assistant will now be paid $52.21 per hour instead of their regular Friday hourly rate of $23.73.
• A full time security officer working at an event will now cost 2.5 times their ordinary hourly rate to work on Friday, earning $46.17 an hour instead of $18.47. 

The taxpayer will pay over $20 million to cover extra public sector employee costs for the day.

Local governments throughout Victoria have to bear the burden of increased costs of operating services such as aged care facilities, rubbish collection and recreational centres.

Businesses across both Melbourne and regional Victoria have contacted VECCI asking us to see if we can have this decision retracted. We’ll continue to campaign on their behalf to see these holidays are not repeated in coming years.

The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

vecci.org.au

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