5 years ago
LABOR WILL ACT IMMEDIATELY TO CALL FOR PAY RISE
BRENDAN O’CONNOR MP
A Shorten Labor Government, if elected, will act immediately to call for a pay rise for Australian workers.
This election is a choice between Labor’s plans to get wages moving again, and the Liberals’ plans to cut penalty rates and deliver bigger tax loopholes for the top end of town.
Federal Labor has written to the Fair Work Commission advising that in Government we would withdraw the current Government’s submission to the Annual Wage Review, and make a new submission requesting a real wage increase to award rates.
Labor will legislate so that the Fair Work Commission will take into greater account cost of living pressures for Australians on the minimum wage as soon as practicable, however, on the first day of Government, we will argue through the current Annual Wage Review for a real increase to award rates.
We have made this unprecedented decision on behalf of Australia’s workers who rely on the award minimum rates and do it because this Government has completely failed to advocate for workers in this country.
At no point in the last six years has this Government supported real increases in submissions to the Annual Wage Review. Instead they have provided a slew of arguments advocating against real increases.
Since the last election, company profits have gone up 39 per cent – but wages have only gone up 5 per cent. A record number of Australians are working a second job just to make ends meet.
The Liberals want workers’ wages to be low and they want them to stay low.
Recently the Minister for Finance publicly boasted that low wages were a “deliberate design feature” of their economic plan.
We recognise that the Expert Panel will soon be making and issuing its decision on the Annual Wage Review and this could be very soon after the election.
If Australians decide against six more years of cuts and chaos from a Morrison Government and vote for change, a Shorten Labor Government will not delay the pay rise that Australian workers deserve.
The Morrison Government have failed to argue for Australia’s workers, and their submission must be replaced.
After six years of Liberal cuts and chaos, our united Labor team is ready to deliver a fair go for all Australians.
This election is a choice between Labor’s plans to get wages moving again, and the Liberals’ plans to cut penalty rates and deliver bigger tax loopholes for the top end of town.
Federal Labor has written to the Fair Work Commission advising that in Government we would withdraw the current Government’s submission to the Annual Wage Review, and make a new submission requesting a real wage increase to award rates.
Labor will legislate so that the Fair Work Commission will take into greater account cost of living pressures for Australians on the minimum wage as soon as practicable, however, on the first day of Government, we will argue through the current Annual Wage Review for a real increase to award rates.
We have made this unprecedented decision on behalf of Australia’s workers who rely on the award minimum rates and do it because this Government has completely failed to advocate for workers in this country.
At no point in the last six years has this Government supported real increases in submissions to the Annual Wage Review. Instead they have provided a slew of arguments advocating against real increases.
Since the last election, company profits have gone up 39 per cent – but wages have only gone up 5 per cent. A record number of Australians are working a second job just to make ends meet.
The Liberals want workers’ wages to be low and they want them to stay low.
Recently the Minister for Finance publicly boasted that low wages were a “deliberate design feature” of their economic plan.
We recognise that the Expert Panel will soon be making and issuing its decision on the Annual Wage Review and this could be very soon after the election.
If Australians decide against six more years of cuts and chaos from a Morrison Government and vote for change, a Shorten Labor Government will not delay the pay rise that Australian workers deserve.
The Morrison Government have failed to argue for Australia’s workers, and their submission must be replaced.
After six years of Liberal cuts and chaos, our united Labor team is ready to deliver a fair go for all Australians.