New legislation - the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill - has been introduced into Parliament. The aim of this legislation is to modernise the bargaining system in Australia and help workers get the pay increases they deserve. The current national collective bargaining system has not been delivering workers pay increases in real terms over the last ten years. Sign the petition here to ask your Senator to support the Secure Jobs, Better Pay Bill and get wages in Australia moving again. The Albanese government is aiming to have the bill passed by the end of 2022, but this will rely on the actions of Senate crossbenchers. The Australian union movement has been campaigning for government to address the cost of living crisis, because prices in Australia continue to rise while wages are stagnant. Union members have been clear that there needs to be legal change to allow workers to secure pay increases. ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said: We must get wages moving in this country. People are working hard, but they are now seeing their wages go dramatically backwards after a decade of seeing them go nowhere. This cannot continue. Australians deserve to see the benefits of their hard work, especially at a time when CEO pay packets have increased 41 per cent and profits for big business by 25 per cent.
The federal budget has now been released. Here's an update from our ASU national office representatives from the budget lockup. Government paid parental leave increased to 6 months representing the biggest expansion to paid parental leave since its inception Measures to improve the costs of childcare and to fix aged care A new Net Zero Economy Taskforce to make sure that workers benefit from Australia’s transformation to a renewable energy superpower. $560 million funding boost for community services that are federally funded to provide for wage increases won by unions in the Fair Work Commission $1.7 billion in funding for women’s safety programs including creating 500 new frontline domestic violence support roles, implementing all the recommendations of the Respect@Work Report, nationally accredited training for frontline DV workers, and introducing laws to expressly prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace. An independent review of the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) where we will be advocating for better jobs, training, portable entitlements, and higher wages for members. Financial support for the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the referendum on the voice next year. Establishing a new Housing Accord which will include building 20,000 new social housing dwellings, and additional funding for crisis and transitional housing for women and children fleeing violence. 480,000 free TAFE places. It's great to see the federal government has delivered on the commitments it has made to union members. We'll post more news about the federal budget as it becomes available.
The latest figures continue to underline the need to get wages moving. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicator rose 7% in the year to July and 6.8% to August 2022. The largest contributors, in the 12 months to August, were wew dwelling construction, up 20.7%, and automotive fuel, up 15.0%. Food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation increased to 9.3%, with prices rising across most food categories, led by fruit and vegetables increasing from 9.1% in June, to 18.6% in August. At the same time, data published by the Fair Work Commission show that the average annualised wage increase (AAWI) for agreements lodged in the last month was only 3%. While this represents an increase in AAWI, it is well below the CPI rate. This means that real wages continue to decline. The Fair Work Commission's data releases have also provided strong evidence that the best way to secure a wage increase is to be a member of your union.
The Albanese government's Job and Skills Summit was held last month with the aim of deliver secure jobs with growing wages, boost incomes and living standards and create more opportunities for more Australians. You can see a full summary of the Summit's Outcomes here. Some of the key outcomes designed to boost job security and wages include commitments to update the Fair Work Act to create a simple, flexible and fair new framework that ensures all workers and businesses can negotiate in good faith for agreements that benefit them. Key elements of those changes are: Include gender pay equity and job security in the objects of the Fair Work Act and legislate a statutory equal remuneration principle to improve the way pay equity claims can be advanced under the Fair Work Act Legislate same job, same pay Establish two new expert panels in the Fair Work Commission for pay equity and the care and community sector Prohibit pay secrecy clauses, and give employees a right to disclose their remuneration if they wish Set an objective test in legislation for determining when a worker is casual Extend the powers of the Fair Work Commission to include “employee-like” forms of work, allowing it to make orders for minimum standards for new forms of work, such as gig work Limit the use of fixed-term contracts These changes are very positive and will improve job security and wages for hundreds of thousands of workers.
Amid the cost of living crisis, the Australian union movement has a positive plan to improve the national workplace laws in Australia. Wages are not keeping pace with cost of living, and it's because our laws are stopping workers - especially in the private sector - from achieving good workplace agreements. The current system of enterprise bargaining in Australia is more than 30 years old. Only 14% of workers are now covered by an enterprise agreement - and this is trending downwards. At a national level Australian unions are campaigning for new laws that will allow more workers to be part of a collective agreement that protects and improves their pay and conditions. We have an opportunity now with a new federal government and an increased focus on wages failing to meet cost of living pressure to fix this crisis by changing our work laws. It starts with reviewing our bargaining system - if so many workers are not covered by an enterprise agreement, how can with improve wages to keep up with the cost of living increases? As the Australian Council of Trade Unions says: Our jobs and workplaces have changed over the past 30 years and our bargaining system needs to as well. This is not a new problem and it’s not just caused by the pandemic or overseas conflict. Workers’ wages have been frozen or declining for the last decade. Next week, unions will be attending the new Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit. We’ll be taking our positive plan, with common sense proposals to fix collective bargaining, and make it meet the needs of workers, as well as employers. Watch ACTU Secretary Sally McManus talk about it here and here. You can do something today to be part of the solution to fix the wages crisis in Australia - ask your friends, your family and your workmates to become a union member. We know that union members win better outcomes and pay at work than non-union workers and union members drive positive outcomes in our community. Being a union member is your first step on a path to better pay and conditions at work.
Last night, on the basis of union members’ campaigning so far, the government indicated that it was prepared to negotiate around its wages policy of 2.5%. On the basis of this movement, public sector unions have agreed to postpone today’s rally outside 1 William Street. For details on the latest wages negotiations, make sure you’re registered to join the Together report-back meeting on Friday – you can register here. Congratulations on putting on the pressure and ensuring movement on wages in 2022!
Wherever you go people are talking about it: The cost of living is continuing to go up. Workers' wages need to keep pace. This year, Together members will be campaigning for fair wage increases in the public and private sectors with a simple message that wage increases must at least match the increases in the cost of living. Union members deliver quality services in every part of the state but your hard work is not being recognised if wages don’t keep pace with the cost of living. On Labour Day weekend, union members in Queensland will be sending a message: Fair wages matter. Will you join us in sending this message? Click here to register and find your closest Labour Day event. This year, Together members will be campaigning for wage increases in the public and private sectors. It is the contribution of union members like you that will make the difference in highlighting the importance of fair wages in the community. Come to Labour Day to celebrate the achievements of union members, celebrate with friends and family, and send a message to the community and politicians – we are standing up for fair wages. I hope to see you there!
It’s time to demand a pay rise. You and your colleagues standing together are powerful. Each year the Fair Work Commission reviews the minimum wage, and the wages contained in awards, which impact millions of Australian workers. Today, Australian Services Union members are making a submission to the National Wage Case for a 5% wage increase. Sign up to stay up to date with our National Wage Case campaign The cost of paying the bills keeps going up but our wages aren’t keeping up. We need a real pay increase to keep up and give workers peace of mind. Your union is your voice for a pay rise at work, make sure you have a say in your wage increase. If the Government really want to address the cost of living crisis, it starts with making sure wages aren’t going backwards. That’s why ASU members working in professional administration, aged care, disabilities, call centres and more are joining together to call for a 5% pay rise. Our jobs should give us the certainty that our wages will keep up with the cost of living and allow us to plan for the future. A wage increase can only come about from union members working together. Make sure you have a say in your wage increase. Join our campaign and tell us what a 5% pay increase would mean for you.
