Unionised hair stylists set for pay rise through landmark agreement

CASUALLY EMPLOYED hair stylists are set to receive a pay rise for working weekends, after Hair Stylists Australia, the SDA, and Hair and Beauty Australia reached an agreement they will present to the Fair Work Commission.

Under the agreement, a total increase of about $5.75 per hour will be added to weekend casual rates. The pay rise will be implemented gradually during 2022 and 2023. This means a casual hair stylist working a full eight-hour days over the weekend would take home an extra $92.

The agreed position will now be presented to the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission on July 28. The Australian Workers Union, which founded and supports Hair Stylists Australia, lauded the agreement as a stride forward for the working rights of hair stylists.

"By standing up and joining their union, hair stylists have shown they can take on their bosses and win themselves a pay rise," AWU national secretary Daniel Walton said.

"All casual hair stylists who work weekends will see their pay rise off the back of this decision. Before this case started, bosses thought they could cut the wages of Australian hair stylists, instead they will now be raising them.

"As qualified tradespeople, Australian hair stylists are underpaid and undervalued for the work they do. While in the long term we want to achieve much more, we should nevertheless recognise this decision as historic because hair stylists were able to stand up for themselves at the Fair Work Commission and win a genuine advance.

"If hair stylists continue to get behind their union this will be just the first of many wins to come."

Hair Stylists Australia ambassador Rachael Yarwood, who works as a causal senior stylist in suburban Sydney, said the result fixed an inequity in the system.

“My colleagues, who were permanent, earned exactly the same as me on our Saturday shifts, and it never seemed fair. If they took time off, they were still paid. But if my son was sick, or if I went on holiday, I got nothing. I thought casuals were supposed to be paid more to make up for that,” Ms Yarwood said.

“Without casual loading, my Saturday pay is only $2 more. I don’t know how many people would give up their weekends for an extra $2 an hour.

"We’re just standing up for ourselves and saying: ‘This isn’t fair. Why are we the only trade that’s being paid like this?’ I’m really glad that HSA has helped us finally make it right.”

 

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