Overview
1. This submission serves three purposes: to comment on recent data which is relevant to the Panel’s decision making, to comment on reply submissions provided by other parties and to answer the supplementary questions published by the Panel.
2. There is no doubt that many employees and employers are facing difficulty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many workers in precarious work, and vulnerable groups, women, youth, part time and casual are disproportionately represented amongst the low paid, and many of these are excluded from government support packages. Similarly, many employers in award reliant industries are adjusting to significant falls in consumer demand that have been brought about as a result of regulatory restrictions.
3. As restrictions begin to lift, it is hoped that conditions improve for all Australians that have been affected. In our view, a real lift to minimum wages will help rather than hinder that transition.
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