'Low paid falling further behind'
From AAP
06feb02
AUSTRALIA'S 1.7 million low-paid award workers received a lower pay rise last year than all other employees, according to research by the ACTU.
The study showed low-paid workers were falling further behind the rest of the community, ACTU Secretary Greg Combet said today.
ACTU statistics suggested the average wage increase for award workers last year was 2.5 per cent, compared to the 4.6 per cent rise in Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Senior managers received the highest average percentage increase in base rates of five per cent.
"People earning $11 or $12 an hour need and deserve a significant pay rise this year or more working families will be in poverty," Mr Combet said.
"It's extraordinarily unfair that the lowest-paid workers in our community should get a lower pay rise than everyone else."
ACTU will use the analysis in its Living Wage Case submission to be lodged with the Australian Industrial Relations Commission on Friday.
The claim will seek a $25 a week pay rise for award workers.
ACTU data shows half of the 1.7 million employees who depend on award wages for their livelihoods, earned less than $13 per hour, or $500 a week.
These workers relied on the Living Wage campaign for an annual wage rise, Mr Combet said.
He said many of them were women struggling to support families through work in the hospitality, retail, cleaning, childcare and clothing trades.
Under the claim, award rates would rise by $25 to bring the Federal Minimum Wage to $438.40 per week ($11.54 per hour).
"If the federal Government is concerned about a fair go for working families, then it should support the unions Living Wage claim," Mr Combet said.