Extra public holidays hurt small business
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Extra public holidays hurt small business

Shadow Minister for Small Business, Neale Burgess and State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull discuss the impacts of public holidays from representatives of the East Gippsland Small Business community today.

Small business operators from around East Gippsland today met with State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull and Shadow Minister for Small Business, Neale Burgess, to raise concerns over the impact of the State’s two new public holidays.

Mr Bull said there were representatives present from Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville, Bruthen, Stratford and Metung to talk to Mr Burgess.

“A lot of people in the small business have raised their concerns with me and while we could have filled a town hall with those in the sector who are unhappy, today was about providing the Shadow Minister with a snapshot,” he said.

Mr Burgess told the gathering that the two additional public holidays were announced without any consultation with the business sector, which has since been confirmed by the Minister in Parliamentary Question Time.

“There was also no research done into the financial impacts on small business and employment.

“The grand final parade is a long way from East Gippsland and to have this additional cost burden placed on you for a parade of players over 300 kilometres away makes no sense at all,” he said.

Mr Bull said a number of matters were raised from the floor and included:

•    “We face a situation where we want to stay open to service the public in a tourist region, but to do so we lose money because of staff wages, so we have to shut.”

•    “My staff know the situation we are in and just want to work for a normal day’s wages rather than have the business close for the day and they miss out on any work, but they know we are forced to pay these wages if we open. They are disappointed we have to shut the doors on these days and they miss out on their normal day’s wages.”

•    “At these rates I now have to pay dishwashers $60 per hour, and although they do a great job we just can’t make a profit, so have to close and it is them that will miss out on a regular day’s wages.”

•    “It’s a drop in the ocean for the big corporates who have big turnovers year round, but for us in small business it is crippling.”

•    “If you open you lose money and if you don’t open you get criticised and they go elsewhere. These holidays are catastrophic for small business and have to be stopped. They hurt our economy.”

•    “We just can’t afford the wages. We opened Easter Sunday and had fairly good patronage but lost money. Grand final eve being a holiday is just ludicrous and will devastate small business.”