While some weekend workers will have their take-home pay slashed after a landmark ruling by the national workplace umpire last week, locally the chamber was looking at the positives.

Inverell Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Josh McPhee said the change might give small business in Inverell better opportunity.

“At the moment the majority of small businesses shut at 12pm on Saturday,” he said.

“The main reason for that, as far as Inverell goes, is that there’s a slower, more relaxed culture … it’s probably just the culture overall of regional towns.

“Having shops open on Sunday’s is just not something that’s been embraced.

“It’s probably a catch-22 because there’s less incentive to work on the weekends now and I suppose it’s going to be challenging for those families that rely on weekend rates. But there’s probably also more opportunities and I think that’s why it’s happened.”

Full-time and part-time workers in retail will have their Sunday penalty rates dropped from 200 per cent to 150 per cent and casuals from 200 per cent to 175 per cent. Hospitality employees will face a reduction in Sunday pay from 175 per cent to 150 per cent, while casuals will remain unchanged. 

Fast-food employee Sunday rates will go from 150 per cent to 125 per cent for full-time and part-time staff, and casuals will go from 200 per cent to 175 per cent.

Labor hopes to neuter the cut by introducing legislation preventing the Fair Work Commission’s decision from taking effect.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has written to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull seeking his support for the bill.

“You say that you will not intervene because you respect the independence of the Fair Work Commission but it is absurd to suggest that it is not the role of the Parliament to rectify decisions of statutory bodies which undermine the Parliament's intent in setting them up,” Mr Shorten said.