Australia’s lowest paid workers could benefit from another pay rise with the federal government pushing the Fair Work Commission to increase wages to help battling Aussies with cost of living pressures.
The Albanese Government made the submission days after being sworn in and submitted a recommendation to the Fair Work Commission to award Australia’s lowest paid workers a substantial increase.
Since the Albanese Government took office in 2022 the minimum wage has grown $143 a week, and was set at $24.10 per hour or $915.90 per week last July, a joint statement from Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth said.
The statement said the government was now recommending wages increase further to provide a substantial real wage increase to Australia’s award workers.
An increase to the minimum wage would benefit about three million workers, including cleaners, retail workers and early childhood educators.
“This position is both economically responsible and fair,” Mr Chalmers and Ms Rishworth said.
“It will ensure low paid workers can get ahead as inflation moderates and real wages continue to grow across the economy.”
The government did not provide a figure for the increase, but the Australian Council of Trade Unions has pushed the Commission to lift the minimum wage by 4.5 per cent at the upcoming annual wage review.
A 4.5 per cent lift would increase the minimum wage to $25.18 per hour or $2143 a year to $49,770 for a full-time worker.
A decision on the new award is usually delivered in June, with the new rate kicking off from July 1.
