Issue No 98 | 01 June 2001 | |
NewsWage Rise For Two Million Workers
The NSW Industrial Relations Commission has delivered a pay rise to the estimated two million workers employed under minimum rate state awards. The IRC accepted the Labor Council of NSW's argument that wage increases approved by the federal IRC last month should flow through to the state award system. The Full Bench of the IRC granted parallel increases of: - $13 per week for workers earning under $490 per week - $15 per week for workers earning between $490 and $590 per week - $17 per week for workers on wages above $590 per week. The decision will deliver pay rises to workers on minimum rates awards in industries including retail, hospitality, clerical workers and the agricultural sector. "This is a fair result to NSW workers facing uncertain economic times," the Labor Council' Michael Costa says. "It also highlights again the importance of trade unions. Without our involvement, there would be no wage increase for anyone. Employers True to Form Unsurprisingly, Employers First chief executive Garry Brack slammed the rise and said they would ultimately lead to job losses. "There's no doubt about it ... it's just a question of how many and that will be dictated by the state of the economy over the next six to 12 months," Brack was quoted as saying. "If you are moving into a period of economic difficulty, it's unwise to go handing out pay increases - even though there is talk of the low paid. But Costa says Brack's claims are as facile as they are predictable. "There has not been a safety net pay rise in living memories that employers have not opposed," Costa says. "Despite their claims that modest increases to lowly paid workers will lead to financial ruin, the economy stubbornly refuses to collapse."
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