Minimum wage up, but still short of ‘living wage’.

The Fair Work Commission has announced a 3% increase in the minimum wage – a move which the ACTU says is a step in the right direction, but falls short of delivering the “living wage” workers have been asking for.

The ruling means the millions of workers who rely on the awards system will get an extra $21.60 per week. The National Minimum Wage will increase from $18.93 an hour or $719.20 per week to $19.49 an hour or $740.80 per week.

ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said the increase will leave the minimum wage more than seven percent short of the living wage target – 60 per cent of the median full-time wage.

“This is a welcome pay rise for millions of low paid workers, especially in the face of further penalty rate cuts in a few weeks.

“We have a long way to go to ensure that the minimum wage is enough for workers to live on and support their families.

“No one in Australia should be living in poverty while working full time, but we know that thousands of people are facing this reality.

“The union movement continues to win big increases in the minimum wage despite the opposition of the Morrison Government and its big business lobbyist mates and their attempts to suppress wages.