Minimum wage

The Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations (ACCER) is seeking a $25.10 increase per week to the National Minimum Wage.

The Council made the proposal in a submission to the Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review 2015-2016.

The ACCER asked that the National Minimum Wage be set at $682.00 per week and $17.95 per hour. It also sought that Award wage rates be increased by $19.00 per week.

The annual wage review requires the Fair Work Commission to set a safety net of fair minimum wages by taking into account, relative living standards and the needs of the low paid.

‘The setting of a fair National Minimum Wage means that those who may depend on it will have a decent standard of living and not merely freedom from poverty,’ said spokesperson Brian Lawrence writing in the submission on behalf of the ACCER.

The Fair Work Commission must also take into account the performance and competitiveness of the national economy, including productivity, business competitiveness and viability, inflation and employment growth.

The ACCER believes its proposals are economically prudent, however it acknowledged that should the Fair Work Commission find that there are economic reasons not to grant the increases sought, then priority should be given to increasing the lowest wage rates to support the most needy, particularly those who are at risk of poverty.

The submission is published on the ACCER website and can be downloaded as a pdf: http://accer.asn.au/