Retail was slow across Melbourne today as is usually the case for Melbourne Cup day. Newsagencies in centres were open while newsagencies in high street situations, for the most part, were closed from lunchtime. Australia Post government owned outlets including those in shopping centres, customer-focused retailers they are, closed all day.
Politicians need to look at the costs for days like today and realise that the award structure they have created costs small business dearly.
For a start, today should not be a public holiday, it should be the one day a year you get to party WITH your workmates in the workplace, we had a ball today but traffic was well down.
The ‘modern award’ does nothing for small business, where is the link to productivity? where is the flexibility? where is my ability to structure a program with my employees (who are like family in businesses this size) without getting lawyers and union officials involved?
Small business is Australias largest employer and yet we get nothing from this Government but more red tape and higher costs.
next election i will vote for liberal again.
Liberal again? Their track record is no better! Neither govt gives a stuff about small business; that’s proven!
Vaughan,
I agree! No big public voice – no concern by Govt.
Instructive also to see who sits on the Govt small business advisory committee – chemists, truckies, hotels, builders, motor vehicles, real estate etc but no newsagency rep – opportunity lost there.
Good one Eric, I like your optimism, Julia is too scary for me as well.
You don’t recognise how much other businesses make from this day, and many of them are small businesses. It all goes around, but if it is not you making the extra then look out!
hey how about the backdown from Telstra regarding the $2.20 fee! Excellent to see.
Love those penalty rates…
Surprisingly, way up here, a lot of businesses were closed, mainly because it isn’t worth their while. Pity it wasn’t a public holiday, though – we could have been busier as well as shut shop early 😉
Our day was fairly quiet, but sales were above average. Go figure.