Employers have warned against raising the minimum wage after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten indicated his support for a 'living wage'.
Employers have warned against hiking the minimum wage after Opposition Leader Bill Shorten indicated his willingness to bow to union pressure for a "living wage", saying forcing business owners to pay more would only drive up the unemployment rate.
“To put it simply, forcing higher wages on employers with no return would only serve to push people out of work and lessen the opportunities for young Australians to enter the workforce," Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said. Striking the right balance is the task of the Fair Work Commission, which ACTU secretary Sally McManus said needed "new rules that allow it to determine what a living wage should be based on the costs and needs of working people".
The Fair Work Act requires the commission to take into account "the performance and competitiveness of the national economy, including productivity" - along with the living standards of low-paid workers - when setting the minimum wage. Opposition industrial relations spokesman Brendan O'Connor said Labor would have "more to say in the lead up to the election".
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