Australian Business Backs Union Calls for More Pay Before Summit

Ahead of a major jobs summit, the head of Australia's main business lobby supported union demands for higher wages.

The nation's enterprise bargaining system needs to be changed to make sure workers are paid more. Sally McManus is the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Westacott said that they were on a unity ticket that they wanted people to be paid more and that wage increases would be sustained. People on enterprise agreements get more money when they look at the data.

The unemployment rate in Australia fell to a 48 year low of 3.4% in July due to floods on the East Coast and a renewed Covid outbreak. The wage price index has grown just 2.6% so far, less than the pace of inflation.

The gender pay gap and increased migration will be topics of discussion at the Jobs and Skills Summit. Industrial relations reforms and salaries are likely to be at the forefront.

The bargaining power of workers has been destroyed. Wage-pay increases have not been seen for the last decade. There's been plenty of time for employers to give people pay increases but they've not, and it's not fair to have the entire economy locked out of collective bargaining.