- Rudd government backs pay rise for 1.4m low-paid workers, By Ewin Hannan, May 18, 2010, The Australian: “Canberra is backing an above-inflation wage rise this year for the nation’s 1.4 million low-paid workers, prompting employers to warn they will be forced to shed jobs and cut hours if the position is backed by the wages umpire. As unions renewed their push for a $27-a-week increase in the minimum wage, the government said increases in minimum wages could allow low-paid workers to share in the benefits of economic growth, while ensuring jobs growth continued. Appearing before Fair Work Australia’s minimum wage panel, government advocate John Kovacic said the pay of low-income workers had ‘gone backwards’ as a result of last year’s minimum wage freeze…”
- Most sides support a rise in minimum wage after freeze, By Kirsty Needham, May 18, 2010, Sydney Morning Herald: “Eric Abetz, the opposition’s workplace spokesman, has joined the federal government and unions in supporting a rise in the minimum wage to make up for last year’s freeze. Unions and business groups are appearing this week before the Fair Work Australia tribunal, which will decide the first minimum wage case since taking over from the Howard-era Fair Pay Commission. Mr Abetz said yesterday there was a strong case for a catch-up rise, the line also being pushed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions. ‘Australian workers took to the task of assisting us through the global financial crisis. Now that we’re coming through I think it makes sense to have a catch-up,’ he said…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty