More than three quarters of voters (78%) would be more likely to vote for a party that is committed to taking steps to ensure wages do not continue to fall behind the cost of living, and 58.7 per cent say they are dissatisfied with the Morrison Government’s performance on cost of living, according to a new poll conducted by RedBridge for the ACTU.
The poll also shows that more than three quarters of voters (84%) believe that wages should keep pace with the cost of living, and more than half (52%) have seen their income go backwards in real terms.
With such a large majority of voters looking for action on wages growth, Scott Morrison’s refusal to support a $1 per hour increase for minimum wage workers in the current Annual Wage Review could have serious consequences for the coalition in this election.
The average worker is projected to lose $4,000 in real terms this year thanks to record low wage growth and rising cost of living under Scott Morrison.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:
“Working people have had enough of a government which refuses to fight for wage growth. People are going backwards thanks to the policies of this Government which are designed to keep wages low.
“Every Prime Minister has the power to generate wage growth – they can support increases in the Annual Wage Review, they can grant real pay rises for their own workforce which is one of the biggest in the country.
“Instead, Scott Morrison has told the Annual Wage Review that keeping jobs like aged care and cleaning underpaid is important. He makes things worse by keeping caps in place that ensure his own employees can’t keep pace with the cost of living.
“Working people know that another three years of this Government will mean three more years waiting for wage growth that will never come.”
