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Issue No. 313 | 30 June 2006 |
Spin Cycle
Interview: Rock Solid Industrial: Eight Simple Rules for Employing My Teenage Daughter Politics: The Johnnie Code Energy: Fission Fantasies History: All The Way With Clarrie O'Shea International: Closer to Home Economics: Taking the Fizz Unions: Stronger Together Review: Montezuma's Revenge Poetry: Fair Go Gone
Graphic Glimpse Behind the Veil Hardie Busted Over Burn Victim
The Soapbox The Locker Room Parliament Education
Dare To Dream Better Get A Lawyer The Last Laugh
Labor Council of NSW |
News Andrews A Bit Rich on Wages
In the same week that the NSW Industrial Relations Commission ruled 500,000 minimum wage people were entitled to four percent increases, federal politicians took seven percent, and confirmed they would also snare a special 2.5 percent adjustment. The federal government, which has the power to halt the cash grab, endorsed controversial Remuneration Tribunal restructuring of senior salary structures. Without negotiation, the series of adjustments, will see backbenchers pay rise from &111,150 to more than $130,000 by July, 2008. The Prime Minister's salary will jump to more than $309,000. The government tries to pass off the increases as a decision of an independent authority but, under the Remuneration and Allowances Act, the decision to apply tribunal decisions to MPs is taken by Workplace Relations Minister, Kevin Andrews. It was Andrews, on behalf of the federal government, who vigorously opposed the NSW minimum wage case before apologising for his behaviour towards the IRC and withdrawing from the case. The NSW Commission rejected calls from Andrews and big business to adjourn its hearings. Unions NSW secretary, John Robertson, hailed the full bench decision to reject those entreaties but warned the adjustment could be the last of its kind. State Opposition leader, Peter Debnam, is pledged to handing the NSW IR system over to Canberra and WorkChoices. "This decision shows the advantage of maintaining a strong independent umpire with the legal authority to consider fairness for working families as well as the interests of business," Robertson said. The federal government has specifically excluded "fairness" from the considerations of its new wage fixing body.
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