Posted April 21, 2017 05:33:04

Photo: United Voice has been one of the unions leading the charge against the decision. (ABC News: Simon Winter)

Unions have sought legal advice and are advancing their efforts to try and reverse the decision by the Turnbull Government to cut penalty rates for Sunday workers.

An appeal to the Federal Court is on the cards from the United Voice, a union which is representing hospitality workers who face having their pay cut after a decision by the Fair Work Commission earlier this year.

Under the new conditions, hospitality workers would see their wages reduced from 175 per cent of their standard wage to 150 per cent.

"We will argue the Fair Work Commission has acted outside its powers," United Voice National Secretary Jo-anne Schofield told AM.

"The decision is unfair and it's out of touch with community values."

United Voice has lobbied the Coalition and Labor on penalty rates since 2015, and has often been seen picketing outside parliamentary offices.

But hospitality employers say the unions intent to launch an appeal is just an attempt to "score political points".

The FWC's long-awaited decision on penalty rates reignites a fierce political fight between Labor and the Coalition.

"We believe this is all about the next election and we will call it out," Australian Hotels Association CEO Stephen Ferguson said.

"If you look at the grounds that they've raised, they're spurious and this is just something else to drag this matter out."

Mr Ferguson is arguing that United Voice should have waited to file an appeal until the Fair Work Commission decides how to implement the transition to the new rates.

"We haven't even got a final decision and already United Voice are off to the Federal Court," he said.

Until the Fair Work Commission receives and finalises its decision on how to implement the transition to the new rates, the unions will have to wait to file their official appeals.

Ms Schofield defended the union's early decision to go to the Federal Court saying: "it's part and parcel of the legal process".

"It's not unusual and it's something we feel compelled to do in light of the harsh impact the decision will have on hospitality workers."

Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, hospitality, industry, business-economics-and-finance, unions, australia