- Freeze over, minimum wage up by $26 a week, By Ben Schneiders and Misha Schubert, June 4, 2010, The Age: “More than 1.4 million low-paid workers will receive their biggest pay rise in many years after the first decision by the Rudd government’s new workplace tribunal in a move attacked by employers as ‘excessive’ and ‘irresponsible’. Employers warned of a threat to jobs and said it would add $2.5 billion to the small business wages bill after the decision to lift award-reliant workers’ wages from July 1 by $26 a week to $569.90 a week or $15 an hour. The decision – $1 a week less than the ACTU’s claim – comes after minimum wages were controversially frozen last year in the final ruling of the Fair Pay Commission, the body set up by the Howard government…”
- Opinion split over minimum wage rise, June 4, 2010, ABC News: “Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has dismissed concerns that Thursday’s decision to increase the minimum wage will put pressure on inflation and employment growth. Fair Work Australia has granted Australia’s lowest paid workers a wage increase of $26 a week, bringing the minimum weekly wage to almost $570. But business groups are furious, saying the increase is risky, irresponsible, unjustified and will cost jobs. Ms Gillard says the pay rise will give low-paid workers a fairer share of the benefits of Australia’s economic recovery…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty