Endeavour Group says it will fast-track pay increases for eligible staff after the Fair Work Commission boosted the minimum wage by 5.2 per cent last week.
The company, which operates retail chains Dan Murphy’s and BWS, along with ALH Hotels across the country, is also seeking 800 more staff to fill vacancies.
The FWC declared the minimum wage increase should apply from July 1, but the hospitality sector, along with aviation and tourism, was granted a three-month exception until October 1 due to the impact of Covid on their operations. The minimum wage from July 1 will be $21.38 per hour or $812.60 per week.
Endeavour says more than 15,000 workers employed under the Hospitality Award are affected by its decision to fast-track the increases. And all employees working under retail and hospitality awards will receive a pay rise from the start of their first pay period in July.
“We will implement the wage increase from the start of the first pay period in July to all eligible employees, including our hospitality team members,” said Endeavour Group CEO & MD Steve Donohue.
“As Australia’s largest operator of retail liquor stores and hotels, we acknowledge that we are in a unique position to be able to do this. We have anchored this decision in our values and ways of working and with a ‘one team’ Endeavour Group mindset,” he said.
Meanwhile, the company is now recruiting more than 400 workers for roles in 340 ALH hotels and a similar number across its retail chains. Most of the vacancies require no relevant experience, with training provided.
