Category Archives: Wages growth

Labor’s jobs summit to focus on pay deals and productivity in bid to lift wages

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Expert says collective bargaining is a ‘minefield’ for employers and simplifying it should be a focus of the forum

More immigration, improved skills policy and simplifying collective bargaining have emerged as three top demands from employers for the new Labor government’s jobs summit.

Experts suggest the forum could also pave the way for reforms including wage theft legislation, which was dropped from the Coalition’s industrial relations bill, and action on union demands about insecure work.

The better off overall test so hypothetical patterns of work don’t prevent pay deals being approved;

The requirements for the FWC to be satisfied that genuine agreement has been reached;

The requirement for employers to explain the terms of a proposed pay deal to employees prior to the vote.

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Morrison’s objection to lifting wages in line with inflation puts spotlight on pensions linked to CPI

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Prime minister says such a move would be ‘incredibly reckless’ but payments such as pensions are already tied to cost-of-living changes

Economists and advocacy groups have seized on the Morrison government’s objection to lifting minimum wages by the inflation rate, noting benefits such as pensions are tied to how consumer prices change.

Prime minister Scott Morrison blasted comments by Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Wednesday that he would “absolutely” support wages keeping pace with prices. That call was “incredibly reckless”, Morrison said, adding that wage increases of 5%-plus were “like throwing fuel on the fire of rising interest rates and rising costs of living”.

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‘Over-the-top alarmism’: economists dismiss concerns wage rises cause inflation

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Australia’s minimum wage is shrinking compared to median pay, bucking global trends

The recent spurt in inflation has little do with workers being paid more, economists say, warning the claim that wage increases could set off inflation is “over-the-top alarmism”.

Debate over how much the lowest-paid workers should receive has flared during the election campaign after the ACTU this week raised its minimum wage claim to the Fair Work Commission to 5.5% from an earlier goal of 5%, after March-quarter consumer prices spiked.

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Industry warns ’small business can’t afford it’ after Albanese backs 5.1% minimum wage rise

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Employers argue that excessive minimum pay increases will fuel inflation as unions call for ‘incredibly reasonable’ boost to meet cost-of-living pressures

Employers have warned against “unaffordable” wage increases after Anthony Albanese backed a 5.1% minimum wage rise to keep up with inflation.

Despite the warnings, the Australian Industry Group has raised its own submission to the Fair Work Commission from 2% to 2.5%, while the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has asked for low-paid workers to get a 3% rise.

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Labor will announce new measures to close gender pay gap in election campaign’s final fortnight

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Tanya Plibersek says party would look at introducing superannnuation on paid parental leave ‘when we can afford to’

Labor will promise a new measure to close the gender pay gap and attack the government for promoting “the importance of low paid work” in the campaign’s final fortnight.

On Sunday the shadow minister for women, Tanya Plibersek, confirmed another policy push on gender pay inequity, while the shadow industrial relations minister, Tony Burke, signalled a plan to weaponise the Coalition’s submission to the minimum wage review.

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Australia’s minimum wage should be raised by 5% to counter inflation and living costs, unions say

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ACTU secretary Sally McManus says increase needed for low-paid workers to ‘keep their heads above water’

Australia’s lowest-paid workers should get a 5% pay rise – or $2,000 more a year, according to a submission from unions to the industrial umpire.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has called for the minimum wage to increase from $20.33 an hour to $21.35, to boost the wages of 2.67m employees who rely on the annual wage review for a pay rise.

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Average Australian worker went backwards by $800 in 2021, says ACTU chief Michele O’Neil

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Soaring cost of living sees employees worse off as Covid hit supply chains and casualisation hindered bargaining power

Australia’s soaring cost of living is outstripping wage increases, leaving the average worker more than $800 worse off in 2021, the steepest cut in real terms for more than 20 years, according to Australian Council of Trade Unions president, Michele O’Neil.

The contraction in spending power happened during Covid supply chain shortages, while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has only propelled prices of fuel and food higher.

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Why Treasury blaming a lack of ‘job switching’ for stagnant wages may have backfired

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By suggesting switching jobs can even out the power imbalance between employers and employees, Treasury hinted at an obvious solution

Treasury caused consternation in the labour movement on Tuesday by suggesting the best way to win a pay rise might be to switch jobs.

It looked to unions like an attempt to blame workers for their bosses’ failure to grant a pay rise.

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Muffin Break faces backlash after boss says millennials won’t do unpaid work

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Uproar comes as parliamentary inquiry into Australian franchise sector prepares final report

The cafe chain Muffin Break is facing a backlash from customers after its general manager said that entitled millennials weren’t willing to do unpaid work to get ahead.

Natalie Brennan told News Corp there was “nobody walking in my door asking for an internship, work experience or unpaid work”.

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