WAGES CONTINUE TO STAGNATE UNDER TURNBULL

Today’s Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) wage data is yet more proof that the Turnbull Government  has nothing to offer Australian workers who are feeling the impact of ongoing stagnant wages.   

Malcolm Turnbull continues to preside over the lowest wages growth since records began.

 

According to today’s ABS data, in the December quarter 2017 wages increased by 0.6 per cent to be 2.1 per cent higher over the year. Even with this slight increase from the September quarter annual wages growth remains around record lows.

 

Turnbull holds the dubious record that wages growth has never been this low under any previous Prime Minister or Government.

 

With wages growth barely above inflation, real wages continue to stagnate – and Australian workers are struggling to keep up with the cost of living.

 

Private sector wages growth remains very weak and around record lows, growing by 0.5 per cent in the quarter and 1.9 per cent over the year to December. This is the same result seen last quarter.

 

Public sector wages grew by 0.6 per cent in the quarter, up slightly from the 0.5 per cent increase seen in the September quarter. Annual public sector wages grew by 2.4 per cent over the year – the same annual result seen last quarter.

   

Neither the Prime Minister, the Minister for Jobs or her junior Minister have a single policy to grow wages and reduce inequality. 

 

Instead, they support cuts to wages through slashing penalty rates, argue against increasing the minimum wage, and focus all their energy on advocating for an unfunded $65 billion tax cut to the big end of town.

 

Australians deserve a pay rise – and they aren’t getting one under Turnbull.