The Albanese Government has recommended the Fair Work Commission boost minimum pay rates to stop wages of Australia’s lowest-paid workers from going backwards in real terms. Source: Canberra Times.
The commission will today hand down its decision on minimum rates of pay and minimum award wages.
For the third year in a row, the Government has called for pay rates to be increased.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said wages growth was part of the solution to the rising cost-of-living, not part of the problem.
“We’ve gone in to bat for Australian workers, recommending the Commission ensure real wages for low-paid workers don’t go backwards,” Dr Chalmers said.
“Since coming to government, we’ve made welcome progress in the fight against inflation and seen a return to real wages growth, but we know it’s not mission accomplished because many Australians are still under pressure.”
Last year, the Commission increased awards by 5.25 per cent. Workers on the minimum wage got a $1.85 per hour pay rise to an hourly rate of $23.23 per hour.
This year the Australian Council of Trade Unions called for a 5 per cent increase, while the Australian Chamber for Commerce and Industry advocated for a 2 per cent rise and the Australian Industry Group called for a 2.8 per cent increase.
The Government’s submission said wages shouldn’t automatically rise in line with inflation, but the Commission should ensure “the real wages of Australia’s low-paid workers do not go backwards”.
Any increase to minimum pay rates would come into force on July 1.
The minimum rates of pay and award rates have flow-on effects for other workers as industrial agreements cannot be lower than the award rate for that industry.
FULL STORY
Lowest-paid Australians set to find out how much their pay will increase (By Sarah Lansdown, Canberra Times)
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