In its latest attempt to shift focus from its own failures, the Morrison Government has chosen to attack workers who are trying to improve their wages and conditions after nearly a decade of low wage growth.
The Prime Minister and Treasurer’s comments this morning are an attempt to start a fight with frontline workers who have put their health on the line for years to carry this country through the pandemic. Meanwhile the Morrison Government has been missing in action on wage growth and secure work.
Rather than telling workers they don’t deserve a pay rise, the Morrison Government should be addressing the crises in aged care, disability care, our hospitals and other frontline industries.
Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:
“This is a desperate move from a Prime Minister that will talk about anything to avoid fronting up to his failures. Working people are worse of now than when this Government came to power and rather than trying to turn that around the Prime Minister is telling them they’re the problem.
“Workers have battled through almost a decade of record low wage growth under this Government, meanwhile cost of living keeps creeping up. The legacy of the Morrison Government will be Australians struggling to keep up with the cost of living.
“It is this Government who has let wage stagnation and insecure work go unchecked for years. This Government jumps at a chance to blame someone else but Australian workers want a government that will take responsibility for lifting wages and improving job security.
“It seems frontline workers are “essential” during the pandemic but a political football at election time.”
