the productivity commision backs a minimum wage rise if productivity rises.  if we could get rid of the deadwood and white anting unions, the OH and S bullsh*t artists, the middle management paper shufflers, the ineffective marketing and human resources departments, the green, black and red tape addicts. we should be able to double the minimum wage without loss of productivity.

this , of course, will never happen as the NON productive handbrake jobs are held by those precisely useless people who are holding the battlers down.  shame really and very hypocritical.

aquascoot wrote on May 21^st, 2013 at 7:06am:





On OH&S and red tape, I agree 110%

Fair Work Commission must deliver $30-a-week wage rise to Australia’s lowest paid workers
21 May, 2013 | Media Release The Fair Work Commission must use its annual review of the minimum wage to lift it by $30 per week and start to close the pay gap which is hurting low-paid workers.

Hearings began in the FWC today to consider the ACTU’s submission to raise the minimum wage from $15.96 per hour to $16.75, or $636.40 per week.

ACTU President Ged Kearney said wages of low-paid workers had been falling behind for a decade and a $30 per week rise would stop them falling further behind.

“Since 2000, the National Minimum Wage had fallen from 50% of average weekly full-time earnings to 43.4%,” Ms Kearney said.

“A $30 per week rise would be a moderate, affordable increase that will stop 1.5 million workers from falling further behind.

“Despite this the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are calling for a pitiful $5.80 per week increase, hardly enough to buy lunch, let alone cope with the increasing cost of living.”

“Last year’s wage rise was absorbed by business and the economy continued to grow. Wages growth has been steady but not excessive across the economy and inflation is low. Now is the time to look after the urgent needs of low-paid workers.

“We are talking about cleaners, hospitality staff, unskilled labourers and thousands of other workers who keep our economy and society functioning.

“Any further decline in the relative living standards of these low-paid workers will put in jeopardy the concept of a fair safety net of minimum wages.

“The rise of insecure forms of work in Australia – which sees millions of workers in jobs with unpredictable working hours and no access to sick leave or annuals leave – make a decent minimum wage more important than ever.

“A decent minimum wage is an important protection for workers which will help prevent the emergence of a US-style working poor.”

Ms Kearney said the $30 per week rise would directly benefit 745,000 workers. The ACTU is simultaneously seeking a 4.2% pay rise for a further 792,000 Award-reliant workers.

“Wage rises across the board have not kept up with productivity growth. This is especially the case for low-paid workers.”

“The Fair Work Commission must recognise the need for wage justice for the lowest-paid.”

Ms Kearney said there was nothing in last week’s Federal Budget that had caused the ACTU to alter its submission to this year’s wage review.