ACTU brings payrise push to Central Coast

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus was on the Central Coast on Friday, April 4, talking to workers about the union’s push for a 4.5% wage rise.

McManus said the rise, to be considered by the Fair Work Commission in its annual wage review later this year, would see 130,000 Central Coast workers benefit.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions’ claim would increase the minimum wage to $25.18 per hour, lifting the annual full-time rate by $2,143 to $49,770.

On the Central Coast, this would result in sales assistants, motor mechanics, kitchenhands, aged care workers, and numerous other award-reliant workers receiving pay rises of more than $2,200 a year.

Nationally, the Fair Work Commission’s decision directly sets the pay of 2.6 million award-reliant workers and impacts all workers by setting the minimum wage floor.

McManus said the claim was both affordable and responsible, underpinned by a strong labour market, inflation within the Reserve Bank’s target and real GDP growth trending upwards, and 25,000 new businesses being created each month.

“Central Coast workers need and deserve a decent real wage increase,” she said.

“We must remember that our minimum wage for a full-time adult worker is only $47,626 a year; it is not enough and needs to increase.

“A 4.5% rise for 130,000 Central Coast workers is what workers need to get ahead of inflation caused by global supply problems and price gouging by the likes of supermarkets and insurance companies.

“Wages move when unions fight for them and are assisted by governments who are prepared to also do the heavy lifting, by intervening at the Fair Work Commission and updating workplace laws to close wage cutting loopholes.”

McManus met with retail workers in Gosford, disability workers at Umina Beach and hospitality workers at Copacabana to discuss the claim.

She said the government’s suggested rise of 2.2% was less than inflation and that the issue would be a major factor in the May 3 Federal election.

“The attitude of the government of the day will impact the Commission’s decision,” she said.

“We welcome the announcement by Prime Minister Albanese to back in real wage increases.

“This means we will not be fighting alone, and this makes a huge difference.

“I call on the Coalition leader, Peter Dutton, to also support Central Coast workers getting a real wage increase.

“This case will still be pending after the election, so locals deserve to know if he will or will not intervene in the case if elected.”

McManus said those on minimum wages had little chance to save for a home deposit or keep pace with rising cost-of-living and rental prices.

“Businesses and landlords can put up their prices anytime but workers have just this one shot at a decent pay rise (each year),” she said.

“You can’t be serious about addressing cost-of-living rises without addressing wages.”

McManus said the situation was exacerbated by Dutton’s recent announcement that a Liberal government would review Labor’s Same Job Same Pay laws, paving the way for possible reforms which could restore industry wage cutting schemes.

This was a backflip from Dutton’s previous statement that he would not undo Same Job Same Pay Laws, McManus said.

Dutton is also on the record committing to reverse a host of workers’ rights from working at home, to rights for casuals and the right to disconnect, she said.

“Peter Dutton could not stand his ground for 24 hours in the face of pressure from big business who must have been furious when he seemed to back away from the Coalition’s long support for their wage cutting schemes,” McManus said.

“We knew that Peter Dutton and the Coalition, who have railed against the improved workers’ rights the Albanese Government enacted, could never be trusted to not cut them at their first opportunity.

“Working people cannot afford to lose any rights at work.

“You can’t improve the cost of living by cutting people’s pay.

“Peter Dutton won’t support real pay rises and he will cut the rights workers have that help them get them at his first opportunity.”

Terry Collins