Bill Shorten flags changes to force FWC to increase minimum wage

Bill Shorten has flagged legislative changes as an option to force the Fair Work Commission to increase the minimum wage.

Bill Shorten has flagged changes to the minimum wage. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Bill Shorten has flagged legislative changes as an option to force the Fair Work Commission to increase the minimum wage, blasting “fat cat” employers for claiming it would lead to job losses.

The Opposition Leader confirmed a future Labor government could change the laws to give the independent umpire a different set of guidelines when choosing the minimum wage.

“There’s a range of ways which governments can put the case to the Fair Work Commission. They can make submissions in the minimum wage case,” Mr Shorten said.

“Another tool or mechanism which is available is to change the legislation. We’ll have more to say on this in coming weeks.”

He would not say if Labor’s proposed “living wage” would match union demands of 60 per cent of the median wage.

“We don’t want adults in Australia working full time trying to survive on $18.93 per hour before tax,” Mr Shorten said.

He lashed out at corporate Australia for warning minimum wage increases could impact employment.

“I love this argument put aside by the bosses of Australia, the fat cats, the top end of town. They say if we pay the poorest workers in Australia a bit more, that’s out of control,” Mr Shorten said.

“But how is it that the executives are happy to take more and more in corporate profits? This is the problem of Australia in 2019. The benefits of hard work are not equally spread.”