Federal government backs wage increase for lowest-paid workers in line with inflation.   :) 
ABC News
Posted Fri 31 Mar 2023

The Fair Work Commission will consider submissions from the federal government, unions and business groups to determine the new minimum
The federal government is advocating for a pay increase for Australia's lowest-paid workers at least in line with inflation, a move business groups warn may "tip Australia into recession".

Key points:
The federal government is advocating for a rise that ensures the nation's lowest-paid workers are not going backwards
Business groups want to see a more modest increase, to help contain inflation and ward off the threat of a recession
Economists say an reasonable minimum wage rise would be similar to the 5.2 per cent approved in 2022
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has commenced its annual wage review, ahead of determining the new minimum and award wage rates, which will come into effect from July 1 and directly impact the pay packets of 2.67 million workers, including 184,000 people who receive the minimum wage.

The government will today lodge its submission, recommending the FWC "ensures the real wages of Australia's low-paid workers do not go backwards".

It is a similar approach to that taken by the government in last year's review, after Anthony Albanese committed during the election campaign to "absolutely" backing a minimum wage increase in line with inflation.

Unions have also argued for a wage increase that keeps pace with inflation, advocating specifically for a 7 per cent increase.   :)

Australia's annual inflation rate eased to 6.8 per cent in February — the second month in a row that inflation fell, after hitting the peak of 8.4 per cent last December.

The government has not put a figure on the increase it is advocating, but Employment Minister Tony Burke said low-paid workers should not be earning less in real terms.   :)

"Every Australian deserves a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," he said.

"For too long, the former government asked Australians to work longer for less — we take a different approach.

"We believe the best way to ensure workers can deal with cost-of-living pressures is to ensure they earn enough to provide for their loved ones and to get ahead."

What is the current minimum wage?
The Fair Work Commission increased the minimum wage by 5.2 per cent from July 1 last year.

Currently, the minimum wage is:

$21.38 per hour
$812.60 per week
But he made clear the government was not arguing for widespread pay increases along the same lines.

"Our submission does not suggest that across-the-board wages should automatically increase in line with inflation, or that inflation is the only factor the Fair Work Commission should consider," he added.

Under the ACTU's proposal, the minimum hourly rate would increase by $1.50 to $22.88, while the weekly rate would increase to $869.50.

McManus looking straight ahead, wearing a black jacket
Sally McManus says the proposed 7 per cent minimum wage increase is a fair deal for workers.   :)
"[The increase] is simply about survival for the lowest-paid workers in our country," ACTU secretary Sally McManus said on Thursday.

"Companies have been posting huge profits, driving inflation through excessive price rises, it's time they conceded they can afford to pay their workers more."

Good! ✅

If "Every Australian deserves a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," there would be a dozen politicians mowing my lawn, tending my garden, and washing my car.

white knight, you just cant get it.

inflation really hurts the poor and really helps the rich (who own houses and shares and so love inflation)

ok,,accept that as fact 1.

to fight inflation you have to reduce spending
until you reduce spending, prices go up
when no one has cash to buy, producers have to drop their prices

ok...accept that as fact 2.

rich people do very little to spending pressure, a handful of multi millionaires still only buy one washing machine, use 1 hot water system , eat 2000 calories etc
but poor people and middle class people are the major group spending (and therefore THEY determine what the inflation rate is.

ok,,,accept that as fact 3.


so to bring down inflation AND HELP THE POOR, you HAVE TO "  REMOVE MONEY " from the economic system . this is usually done by raising interest rates . then poor and middle class people have to put more into their mortgages and their credit card debt and they have less to spend and inflation eases.

ok...accept that as fact 4.



now if we accept all these facts as facts (which they are).

any time you pump in more cash you must raise inflation and therefore interest rates which is the only way to fight inflation.


so you ask for more cash and prices go up and your debt goes up.

but heres the kicker.

this is no problem for the rich who have cash in the bank and is a massive problem for people paying off mortgages and credit cards.



when you ask for wage rises, you make the rich richer and the poor poorer.

it cant be any other way.

now write that out 100 times.


wages rises help rich people
wage rises harm poor people


please

i have too much money already.

my propoerty is going thru the roof.
my bank accounts are paying more interest.
my shares are shooting up


you have got to stop helping me by pumping more money into the system

i dont know what to do with it all .

please help the poor and learn to shut up

Accept fact 5, and join one of the great unions of Australia.   :)

aquascoot wrote on Jun 1^st, 2023 at 5:51pm:

so to bring down inflation AND HELP THE POOR, you HAVE TO "  REMOVE MONEY " from the economic system . this is usually done by raising interest rates .

raising interest rates is the absolutely wrong way to fight inflation these days. Only about 3 million of our population has a mortgage, even less have to cut spending in order to meet higher mortgage repayments. ... almost two million retirees live off their super and investment funds. Raising interest rates pumps more money to those 2 million negating any downward pressure bought about from having raised interest rates in the first place. It's all a con

In 3 weeks. Inflation in Australia will jump another 15% to keep in line with other nations - who are pulling the strings, considering Australia is very 'internationally' dependent.

It's basically out of either Party's control.

Jasin wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2023 at 9:07am:

In 3 weeks. Inflation in Australia will jump another 15% to keep in line with other nations - who are pulling the strings, considering Australia is very 'internationally' dependent. It's basically out of either Party's control.

Yep.

Now look up the term STAGFLATION.

We’re in for a rough ride 😩🥺😔

The Fair Work Commission has raised both the national minimum wage and award rates by 5.75 per cent.

greggerypeccary wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2023 at 10:41am:

The Fair Work Commission has raised both the national minimum wage and award rates by 5.75 per cent.

damm,

that will bump inflation up.

my realestate, shares,super and bank depoits all earn me more.

please stop, i dont know what to do with all this cash they keep gifting me

as a rich person i implore the unions to cease widening the wealth gap

Thank heavens for the good unions of Australia.   [smiley=beer.gif]

greggerypeccary wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2023 at 10:41am:

The Fair Work Commission has raised both the national minimum wage and award rates by 5.75 per cent.

That was last year but it was in response to an 8% inflation rate. the reality is that it was a 2.25% effective wage cut.

aquascoot wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2023 at 2:30pm:

greggerypeccary wrote on Jun 2nd, 2023 at 10:41am: The Fair Work Commission has raised both the national minimum wage and award rates by 5.75 per cent. damm, that will bump inflation up. my realestate, shares,super and bank depoits all earn me more. please stop, i dont know what to do with all this cash they keep gifting me as a rich person i implore the unions to cease widening the wealth gap

Quote:

that will bump inflation up.

Wages follow inflation. The increase would typically influence future inflation by about 0.1%. The primary inflation drivers have been economic (demand driven by supply shortages) and profiteering style price increases (price gouging).

If your profit is based on underpaying workers, then the business is not viable.
If people support capitalism (and not slavery, monopolisation, etc), then only the most efficient and business savvy will survive.
People should not be running failing businesses.  If they can't find other ways to make ends meet - quit.

As for those armchair economists who think this will raise inflation - it won't.  Because the amount of money running through won't be enough - all those low paid put that into non-discretionary - like petrol, mortgages, rent and utility bills.  Unless of course, you're a rightwinger who thinks the poor don't deserve to afford those things - which have gone up but not their wages.
And if they do have extra, they can now go and spend to help businesses operate, since they now have higher costs to pay their own workers.

stunspore wrote on Jun 3^rd, 2023 at 8:11pm:

If your profit is based on underpaying workers, then the business is not viable. If people support capitalism (and not slavery, monopolisation, etc), then only the most efficient and business savvy will survive. People should not be running failing businesses.  If they can't find other ways to make ends meet - quit. As for those armchair economists who think this will raise inflation - it won't.  Because the amount of money running through won't be enough - all those low paid put that into non-discretionary - like petrol, mortgages, rent and utility bills.  Unless of course, you're a rightwinger who thinks the poor don't deserve to afford those things - which have gone up but not their wages. And if they do have extra, they can now go and spend to help businesses operate, since they now have higher costs to pay their own workers.

Simply stunning.

Real wages have gone backwards in the last decade.  All that time the morons have been arguing that raising them to keep up with raising costs of living would cause inflation.
Now we've had unprecedented inflation, so much so that people working full time are struggling to make ends meet,  and still horseboy argues that we shouldn't lift wages because it'll cause inflation.

What's causing inflation is supply issues and greed. Corporate greed pure and simple. It's time govt. did something to curb the real cause of inflation and put a cap the Corporate greed.