Queensland workers win minimum wage increase

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace has welcomed today’s decision by the Fair Work Commission to lift the national minimum wage and award rates of pay by 3.5 per cent.

“This will provide a much-needed real wage increase for almost half a million low-paid private sector workers in Queensland,” she said.

“These are workers who do not enjoy the benefits of bargaining and they rely on this decision for an annual pay increase to help make ends meet.

“This is a sensible and affordable increase.

“The Commission acknowledged in its decision that business conditions remain positive, inflation and wages growth remain low, and that increases of this magnitude do not have negative impacts on employment.”

Significantly, the Fair Work Commission noted that no party was able to identify any economic indicator which demonstrated any discernible detriment arising from last year’s decision which awarded an increase of 3.3 per cent.

The Palaszczuk Government’s submission to the FWC called for an increase to the national minimum wage of 3.9 per cent and fair and reasonable increases to all other minimum award rates of pay.

“This contrasts with the Federal Government that sat on the fence in its submission and couldn’t bring itself to support any specific wage increase for low-paid workers,” Ms Grace said.

Ms Grace endorsed the Commission’s view that current low wages growth has significant economic and social consequences.

“What is even more concerning is that at a time of historically low wages growth, there are some workers who are not even getting paid what they are entitled,” she said.

“This is why the Palaszczuk Government has moved to establish a state parliamentary inquiry into the scourge of wage theft.”

The Wage Theft Inquiry is expected to commence shortly.

Media contact: Emma Clarey 0439 578 472