News Release

SA UNIONS GOES IN TO BAT FOR LOW PAID WORKERS

2 February 2006

SA Unions is heading to the Industrial Relations Commission this morning to fight for the state's lowest paid workers to receive their regular annual wage rise.

The federal government wants to intervene in the case and thwart the move.

SA Unions Secretary, Janet Giles says the federal government has stopped a wage rise being given to low paid workers at a national level and now they are trying to stop those on state awards getting one too.

"The federal government is being immoral and measly.  It has put the kybosh on low paid workers under federal awards getting a fair wage rise to keep them up with the cost of living, and now it is going around the country arguing in every state that no one else should get fair pay either", Ms Giles says.

Ms Giles says unions have this year brought forward the annual minimum wage case in an effort to win a wage increase before the Howard Government's industrial legislation kicks in.  It is usual for SA Unions to win an increase to the minimum wage around June each year.

The new laws do away with the Industrial Relations Commission as a independent wage fixing umpire, and instead will determine people's pay through a federal government appointed "Fair Pay" Commission.

"Once the federal government's laws are in place, workers will have to wait until the Commission is put in place, which won't be before September.  And even then, there is no guarantee that the commission will make a swift decision.  What is more, workers will have NO say in the process", Ms Giles says.

"Given the federal government's past opposition to fair wage rises for workers through the IRC, we suspect improvements for workers will be a long time coming under this new system."

"Hence this application is crucial - but the federal government is trying to stymie it."

"The Commonwealth is seeking to intervene in the case.  It wants to stop our poorest workers from receiving an increase by arguing the state government has no right to deliver this wage increase because federal workers were denied an increase and told to wait for the pending federal laws."

"We take a very different view.  We don't want the Commonwealth dictating to us how to run our own state laws."

"Despite the rising cost of living, the Howard Government wants to keep our lowest paid workers at the bottom rung of the income ladder.  It is a disgrace," Ms Giles says.