The average Cairns worker could suffer a huge hit to the hip pocket due to cost of living crisis

With cost of living pressures set to increase substantially across the Far North, a key union figure has warned the impact to people’s hip pockets is likely to be even worse in Cairns. FIND OUT WHY

WITH ACTU figures predicting the average Australian worker will suffer a $2000 pay cut in 2022, the organisation’s secretary Sally McManus believes the effects will be far worse in the Far North. High levels of casualisation in Cairns means the crisis could hit even harder, she said.

On Wednesday, Ms McManus attended a rally with workers in Whitfield.

“You get to the point where people are having to cut back on groceries… when their wages don’t go up they basically have to decide to eat less,” Ms McManus said.

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus joined with local aged care workers, members of the AWU and the Queensland Council of Unions at a rally in Whitfield. Picture Emily Barker

Despite a falling unemployment rate in Cairns and an increased national productivity rate, Ms McManus said that the problem of real wage cuts would remain in Far North Queensland while employers continue to exploit loop holes that keep permanent workers employed on a casual basis.

“The LNP has made it clear that they don’t believe there is an issue with insecure work. Not only do they have no plans to address it, they’ve just got no intention. I think that’s completely disconnected from the real life experience of people.”

ACTU Secretary Sally McManus speaks with members of the AWU and the Queensland Council of Unions at a rally in Whitfield. Picture Emily Barker

While Ms McManus did not endorse a specific Leichhardt candidate, she placed blame for the crisis on the Coalition’s shoulders and told rally attendees that Warren Entsch has got to go, echoing Labor candidate for Leichhardt Elida Faith’s common campaign motto that a vote for Warren Entsch is a vote for Scott Morrison.

“The royal commission said that aged care workers need to be paid more. Scott Morrison’s government is the funding body [of the Fair Work Commission]. When you have a situation where the funding body is not prepared to increase funding, you’re going to have always the aged care employers trying to cut it.”

Originally published as The average Cairns worker could suffer a huge hit to the hip pocket due to cost of living crisis