IT MUST be with dismay to workers in certain sectors of business who, by the findings of the productivity commission, may soon have their penalty rates reduced or taken away.

According to the commission, it is ok to pay certain people penalty rates such as police, firies nurses etc

Yet if you work in the hospitality industry your take home pay needs to be reduced in order for small business to survive. What is the difference between a chef working on a Sunday or a police officer working on a Sunday; what difference is there between a nurse working a Sunday or a waitress working a Sunday?

Obviously the commission is of the opinion that if you work in certain sectors you are a second class citizen and your wage should reflect this.

Before the last election, Prime Minister Abbot made the claim that no Aussie worker would be worse off and business would grow under the coalition government. Will he be game enough to run with the productivity commission's recommendations in the next federal election? If he does it certainly flies in the face of promises he once made.

Is small business struggling, yes; is it because of penalty rates, no. The trouble with our economy at the moment is that there has not been wage growth in this country for years and more people are taking wage cuts to hang on to their jobs. The workforce is becoming more casual and job security in any industry has disappeared. If people take home less or are frightened to spend they won't spend but rather save or pay down their debt. How you fix the problem by taking money off people who are already the lowest paid beggar's belief and one would hope that a campaign by whoever is mounted to make sure this injustice to hard working people never occurs.

Phillip Smith

Rockhampton