Government Grants Additional Public Holiday
I am delighted to report that today the State Labor Government has made Christmas Day an additional public holiday in Victoria this year.
Your Entitlements For Christmas/New Years Public Holidays
Employer specific bulletins detailing your entitlements over Christmas and New Years are being published to the bulletins section of your online SDA account
This year Christmas Day (25 December) falls on a Sunday. The Public Holidays Act substitutes the public holiday to Tuesday 27 December. So Monday 26 December(Boxing Day) and Tuesday 27 December (the substitute Christmas Day) are public holidays but the legislation leaves Sunday 25 December as an ordinary Sunday.
That's not fair on weekend workers. Sunday 25 December is the real Christmas Day. Some members will be working on Christmas day, eg. members in Coles Express, Woolworths Petrol. Other members in stores which are shut on Christmas Day have been asked to make up the hours elsewhere, to take a day of annual leave or take unpaid leave.
In every other State and Territory of Australia Christmas Day is a public holiday. Everywhere else the public holidays are Sunday 25 December, Monday 26 December and Tuesday 27 December.
The SDA has lobbied extensively for the State Government to make Christmas Day an additional public holiday in Victoria. We were joined in the campaign by the Victorian Trades Hall Council and other unions whose members are affected.
A large number of Ministers and members of the Labor Government were supportive of making Christmas Day a public holiday.
Congratulations to the Premier and the Government on reconsidering the issue and announcing today that Christmas Day will be a public holiday in Victoria this year.
The arrangements in some companies for employees rostered on Sunday 25 December to make up the hours elsewhere, to take annual leave or to take unpaid leave must now be scrapped. It is a public holiday.
The good news continues. New Year's Day (Sunday 1 January) and Monday 2 January are both public holidays under Victorian legislation.
Christmas/New Years Public Holidays
Public holidays in Victoria over Christmas/New Year are
- Sunday 25 December 2016
- Monday 26 December 2016
- Tuesday 27 December 2016
- Sunday 1 January 2017
- Monday 2 January 2017
Check your enterprise agreement or check the Bulletins section of the members website for the details of public holiday entitlements in your company or phone the SDA on 9698 1400. Details of public holiday entitlements will go up on the website over the next few days.
Enjoy your Christmas and New Year public holidays.