A quarter of Australian workers will get a pay rise following a union campaign which lead to today’s Fair Work Commission (FWC) decision to increase the minimum wage.
The increase will be 5.2 per cent for those on the minimum wage and an increase of 4.6 per cent, or $40 per week, for those reliant on award wages, whichever is higher.
Today’s decision puts an extra $40 a week in the pocket of a full-time worker on the minimum wage and low-paid award workers.
Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Secretary Sally McManus said the union movement fought hard for this increase, standing up for the quarter of Australian workers who rely on this process for a pay rise.
“If it were not for unions, with employers pushing for big real wage cuts, Australian working people and their families would see no relief from cost-of-living pressures.
