Tasmanian workers looking for action on record low wage growth to help relieve cost of living pressures will be bitterly disappointed by tonights Federal Budget.

Temporary and one-off payments are an admission by Scott Morrison that his Government has completely failed workers on wages over the last nine years, said Unions Tasmania Secretary, Jessica Munday.

The Governments own wage growth forecasts show workers wages going backwards in real terms with only 1% of real wage growth forecast by 2025/26. Costs like rent, childcare, food, and other essentials are going to keep going up and workers need their wages to keep going up too, not just a one-off payment motivated by an election.

Tasmanian workers know the pain and impact of low wages and insecure work.

• Tasmanians earn the lowest full time adult average weekly earnings in the country (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021).
• Tasmania has the highest percentage of workers in casual employment out of any state or territory (26.6%).
• Over 20,000 Tasmanians are now working multiple jobs to survive.

The Government couldve taken a range of decisions to help lift wages long term. Two of Tasmanians largest sectors include health care and education where workers in aged care and early childhood education both women dominated industries desperately need pay rises. The Government could have given their own employees a real pay rise or supported an increase in the minimum wage, but they didnt, said Ms Munday.

Instead, Scott Morrison is missing in action on wages again and workers will be rightly cynical that tonights Budget is targeted at the next few months, not the next few years and beyond.

For further information or comment: 0417 454 809