The Fair Work Commission handed down its decision on the minimum wage this morning, awarding a 5.2% increase to workers earning the minimum wage and a 4.6% or $40 per week (whichever is higher) to those on award wages.

It takes the minimum wage from $20.33 an hour to $21.38 per hour and will mean an extra $40 a week in the pay packets of some of the countrys lowest paid workers.

Unions had argued strongly for a minimum wage rise that kept up with rising living costs and helped low paid workers who are being financially crushed by ballooning cost of living.

The union movement stood up for workers and fought for this increase, said Unions Tasmania Secretary, Jessica Munday. We do this every year via the Annual Wage Review while employers argue for real wage cuts.

Weve said all along that there is no solution to the cost-of-living crisis that does not involve workers receiving decent pay rises. Workers also know that they havent been getting their fair share of the economic pie for years. Last year, company profits were up by 25% but workers wages were only growing by 2.4 per cent. Thats not fair.

Tasmanians across the state will look at this decision and theyll be rightly asking for pay rises that dont see them go backwards. This shouldnt be a controversial ask.

Low wage growth is holding our economy back and employers including the Rockliff Government who have only budgeted for an insulting 2.5% pay rise for Tasmanian state servants need to up their offers because those sorts of low pay rises just arent going to cut it, said Ms Munday.

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View and download PDF here: Media Release - Unions win 5.2 per cent minimum wage raise.pdf