http://greens-win.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/minimum-wage-rises-17-week-about-1.htm...


Minimum wage rises $17 a week


ABOUT 1.4 million low paid workers will receive a $17.10 pay rise after the industrial umpire lifted the minimum wage to $606.40 a week.

Fair Work Australia president Iain Ross said the “moderate” 2.9 per cent rise would maintain living standards for award wage earners.

"In this review we have decided that the relevant statutory considerations favour a moderate increase which will improve the real value of award wages and assist the living standards of the low paid,” he said.

Justice Ross said the tribunal had not been persuaded by employer submissions that this year’s minimum wage decision should be moderated by carbon tax compensation and recent budget handouts.

The tribunal has left it open to consider in future reviews the impact of the staged increase in superannuation guarantee payments.

Unions had claimed a $26 rise, while business groups wanted to constrain wage rises to as low as $9 a week.
Justice Ross said economic conditions had been “reasonably strong” , but structural challenges associated with the mining boom “will lead to some increased structural and/or frictional unemployment”.

“In summary, the economic outlook remains sound, with growth continuing around trend levels in aggregate, with continuing relatively low unemployment and moderate inflation,” he said.

“However, a number of considerations give rise to some caution. The outlook for growth is uneven, with the resources sector driving domestic growth and the non-resources sector growing less strongly.

“Global risks continue, most notably those associated with continuing sovereign debt problems in Europe.

“There are also conflicting signals in the main economic indicators and considerable volatility, from quarter to quarter, in important measures such as growth in company gross operating profits, inflation, hours worked and gross value added by industry.”

If Libs become the main party within a hung parliament, and are in a position to reverse the carbon price for the biggest polluters, will this minimum wage increase increase. Or will Abbott be attacking the minimum wage via his carbon compensation attack.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 1^st, 2012 at 11:04am:



The the minimum wage must increase, if abbott reverses the carbon compensation.

If not, workers will be worse off under an abbott government.

Andrei.Hicks wrote on Jun 1^st, 2012 at 11:07am:

Wouldn't you want it to be based on something a little more stable?

bobbythefap1 wrote on Jun 1^st, 2012 at 11:10am:



Nope.
The market decides costs and prices better than anything.

Why when I go for a job would I receive offers paying me roughly all within $10k of each other?

Market price of where I sit.

Why are the coalition silent about reimbursing low income workers with their carbon price reversal plan.

Why are any low income earner even considering attacking their own cost of living, by supporting abbott's policies.

If Abbott was serious about his mantra of working families, why does he only look after ultra rich, clive palmer type families.

____ wrote on Jun 1^st, 2012 at 11:55am:

Maybe gang-green overestimated the stupidity of Australians.

Kat wrote on Jun 1^st, 2012 at 11:56am:

its called incentive to find work.