Australian Unions will pursue a wage claim of 4.5 per cent in the upcoming Annual Wage Review.
The ACTU’s claim will increase the minimum wage to $25.18 per hour, lifting the annual full-time rate by $2,143 to $49,770.
The 4.5 percent claim directly affects the 2.6 million Australian workers whose pay is set by awards, but it also affects all working Australians, as it sets minimum wage floors.
Lower-paid workers have borne the brunt of this cost-of-living crisis. The most award-reliant workers are in the accommodation and food services, community, care, retail, arts, recreation and health care sectors.
The Australian Unions’ claim is both affordable and responsible, underpinned by a strong labour market, inflation within the Reserve Bank’s target and real GDP growth trending upwards, and 25,000 new businesses being created each month.
The ACTU welcomes the Albanese Government’s commitment yesterday to support real wage growth and to make a formal submission to the Annual Wage Review in support of lower paid workers’ wage rises if re-elected.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus:
“Australia’s lowest paid workers need and deserve a decent real wage increase. We must remember that our minimum wage for a full-time adult worker is only $47,626 a year. It is not enough and needs to increase. We are not America, and no one should be left without a liveable wage after working full-time hours.
“A 4.5 percent rise for 2.6 million award-reliant workers is what they need to get ahead of inflation caused by global supply problems and price gouging by the likes of supermarkets and insurance companies.
“Wages move when unions fight for them and are assisted by Governments who are prepared to also do the heavy lifting, by intervening at the Fair Work Commission and updating workplace laws to close wage cutting loopholes.
“We welcome the announcement by Prime Minister Albanese to back in real wage increases. This means we will not be fighting alone, and this makes a huge difference.
“I call on the Coalition Leader, Peter Dutton, to also support Australia’s lowest paid workers getting a real wage increase. This case will still be pending after the election, so Australians deserve to know if he will or will not intervene in the case if elected.”
