The argument is self-evident: weekend penalty rates are out-of-kilter because in a modern, secular, 24/7 economy, Sunday has become just like any other day.
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So why pay loadings for hours that are no longer unsociable - no longer deleterious to family and home life?
Here's one reason. Because, it turns out, the loudest, clearest proponents of this change take a different view about their own leisure time.
Indeed, these new-economy warriors guard their Saturdays and Sundays so jealously, they close their offices on the weekend to guarantee quality family time.
Who knew?
While the Coalition parties, right-wing think-tanks and business groups defend the Fair Work Commission's recent ruling to cut the pay of Sunday and public holiday workers in retail, fast food, and hospitality, their own weekends remain sacrosanct.
In the spirit of this 24/7 economy, Fairfax Media telephoned the switchboards of the main groups on Sunday afternoon: the Institute of Public Affairs, Business Council of Australia, the Australian Industry Group, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and even the small enterprise body, the Council of Small Business Australia also known as COSBOA.
And guess what? No answers. Not one of these offices - unless you consider an answering machine as service - was open or staffed on a Sunday afternoon.
The avowedly free-market IPA is, of course, a muscular advocate of labour-market deregulation and would do away with centrally established pay rates entirely. But call on Sunday to speak to a person and you get a machine.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is, similarly, just a week-day operation. "The office is currently unattended," the message at 2:58pm instructed.
The Australian Industry Group answered at 3:02, via a recorded message advising that office hours are from Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:15pm. No danger of any penalty payments there then.
The Business Council of Australia? No answer at all at 3:04 pm.
COSBOA was called at 3:10. The small business lobby's machine offered to take a message - presumably to get back to us on Monday.
So much for the seven-day trading week. If you work for one of these bravely new-world organisations, your weekends are safe even as you call for others to take a haircut, on the grounds that Sunday is no longer so special.
But politicians are different, right? No.
Both Liberal and Nationals headquarters were decidedly unattended despite their unblinking confidence that lowering take-home pay for Sunday work is the right answer.
So weekends are special after all. Theirs any way.
Tell it to people who never go to the footy, or a matinee, or get Sunday brunch, or see their kids play sport, because they work the hours when others don't. These are the ones who ensure we get our smashed avocado, can buy petrol, or even do the shopping at a time of convenience.
