ACTU Secretary Sally McManus will be visiting Tasmania to talk to working people about the Morrison Governments failures in addressing the wage growth and secure work crises.

Working people saw their wages go backwards $800 on average in 2021 and are on track to lose almost $2000 in the first half of this year. Low wage growth under this Government, capped by real wage cuts, have caused the current cost of living crisis.

In Tasmania the situation is compounded by the fact that wages are near the lowest in the country; according to ABS statistics from the 2016 Census, Tasmanians earn $338 less than the national average. Meanwhile, the latest CPI figures show that the cost of living in Tasmania is the third highest in the country.

Scott Morrison is lying to Tasmanians when he says there is nothing that the Government can do to end the cost of living crisis and generate wage growth.

Australian workers need a Government which will act to create more secure jobs and provide real pay rises.

Quotes attributable to Unions Tasmania Secretary Jessica Munday:

Tasmanian workers have been struggling with some of the lowest wages in the country as well as the most insecure jobs. Two thirds of Tasmanians are in some form of insecure work.

Both the Federal and State Liberal Governments have capped public sector wages for their workers here for many years which has put downward pressure on wages across the Tasmanian economy and contributed to our lower wages.

There is no solution to the cost-of-living crisis that does not involve workers receiving wage rises. Scott Morrison has plenty of levers to pull to make this happen and hes chosen to do nothing.

Quotes attributable to ACTU Secretary Sally McManus:

Scott Morrison should be doing everything he can to get behind working Tasmanians and backing them getting pay rises. One of the most important things he could do is close the loopholes that employers are using to make permanent jobs casual jobs. But he has gone missing when working people need him most.

Wages in Tasmania are some of the lowest in the country but the cost of living here is one of the highest. Yet we have the Morrison Government repeatedly claiming that insecure work and low wage growth dont require action from the federal government. Australian workers deserve better.

The cost-of-living crisis that workers are suffering through has been caused by almost a decade of low wage growth under this Government. Scott Morrison could be supporting a pay rise for a quarter of all workers in the Annual Wage Review and backing in a wage rise for aged care workers. He has refused to do either.

Details

WHEN: Friday 6 May

WHERE: Outside Royal Hobart Hospital

TIME: 2pm

WHAT: Sally and workers will be available for comment

For further information contact Jessica Munday on 0417 454 809

Download PDF: ACTU Secretary Sally McManus to visit Tasmania in continuing fight against insecure work.pdf