Lizbeth Radilla has found Melbourne an expensive city to live in.
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Penalty rate changes that came into effect on Sunday have now made it that little bit harder for the event management student and part-time bartender to pay her bills.
"It's quite expensive living here, and it's going to get harder now. I'm a student, so I have to pay for my school, my rent, bills, groceries," the 26-year-old from Mexico said.
Along with almost half a million of the country's lowest paid workers running coffees and pulling beers in bars, cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets, Ms Radilla's Sunday penalty rates have been reduced by 5 percentage points, with more significant cuts to be introduced in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
"I'm so happy to be living in Melbourne, but it's been very hard for me because of the cost of living, and these changes will make it harder to get by," the Windsor bartender said.
By July 1, 2020, the full suite of cuts will have been phased in. Sunday rates will have been reduced from 175 per cent to 150 per cent for full-time and part-time hospitality employees, with the rate for casual staff to remain the same, at 175 per cent.
Full-time and part-time fast food workers will have their Sunday rates reduced from 150 per cent to 125 per cent, while public holiday rates will be slashed 25 percentage points across hospitality, retail, fast food, pharmacy and restaurant sectors.
The changes follow a decision the Fair Work Commission handed down in February that affects penalty rates for staff who are not part of an enterprise bargaining agreement.
TAB operator and barman John Keily described the commission's ruling as "abhorrent", and said that instead of working each Sunday at a Ferntree Gully hotel, he would prefer to watch his grandsons play football.
Mr Keily said that until now, weekend penalty rates had been decent compensation, but their reduction was "totally unfair".
He said many people in retail and hospitality would be "feeling pretty bad". Once the cuts are fully introduced in 2019, the 73-year-old, who works two days a week at the Club Hotel, will suffer about a $40 reduction in his former weekly pay of $400.
He is contemplating retirement. "I might as well go back onto a full-time pension."
He pointed to a 2 per cent pay rise granted to federal MPs from July 1 and cuts to the top marginal tax rate.
"And I'm a poor struggling TAB worker and I lose $40 ... And the richest people in Australia get a 2 per cent tax cut. Now, can you tell me where that's fair?"
Mr Keily praised businesses including Lush, Chemist Warehouse and My Chemist for resolving not to pass on the cut to workers.
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten used a rally in Caboolture, Queensland, on Sunday to repeat his pledge to reinstate penalty rates within 100 days of taking office.
Mr Shorten said the issue would be left up to the biggest independent umpire – the Australian voters – at the next election.
Lawyers have reminded workers to check their pay slips to make sure they are not being short-changed.
