An FWC panel has asked whether medium term minimum wage "guidance targets" could provide the predictability of firmer targets but has acknowledged that unions might be concerned the latter will "bump up" against the legislation.
Pay rises in private-sector enterprise deals have climbed back above 3%, coinciding with a big reduction in agreement-making in retail and hospitality, according to the Department of Employment.
AMWU urges full bench to reject bid to re-open casual service case; FWC dismisses claim by "bullied" manager who didn’t appear; Wages might be on the rise, says RBA; and Training obligations should continue for 457 visa sponsors.
The NUW has won average pay increases of about 4.75% a year for 650 workers after a three-day strike at a major Victorian distribution centre for Coles supermarkets.
A leading economist has warned Australia is in a "self-fulfilling cycle" of low productivity and wages growth after today's CPI figures showed year-on-year inflation almost flatlining at just 1%.
Annual growth in rates of pay excluding bonuses in the private sector has dropped to a new record low of just 1.9% in trend terms, according to the ABS.
IR barristers appointed to Federal Circuit Court; FWC member retires after almost 15 years; Wage rises lower in industries hit by resources downturn, says RBA; New FAAA leadership seeking to secure role in new Qantas aircraft; Agreement delivers wage justice for nurses, says Victorian Government; and Supermarket self-service hindering employment growth, says report.
Wage growth in private sector federal agreements approved by the FWC in the December quarter of last year dropped to a new 24-year low, according to the Department of Employment.
The union that represents cleaners, disability care workers and security guards is asking the FWC to "convene a special process" in the second half of the year to determine whether it can set a "medium-term target" for the minimum wage, to arrest what it says is a long-term downward trajectory.
