Federal Election 2019: Labor to act on award wages on first day, Bill Shorten says in Burnie

If elected, Labor will scrap the coalition’s “insipid” wage submission and ask the industrial umpire to raise award wages, Labor leader Bill Shorten said.

If elected, Labor will scrap the coalition’s “insipid” wage submission and ask the industrial umpire to raise award wages, Labor leader Bill Shorten said during a visit to Tasmania.

A Shorten government would axe the Coalition’s submission to the annual wage review and file a new proposal to raise workers’ wages as soon as July 1.

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In a letter on Monday, the Opposition Leader told the Fair Work Commission president to expect a proposal to increase award rates if Labor wins Saturday’s election.

Labor argues the Coalition Government’s submission on award wages has failed workers and it must be replaced.

Labor leader Bill Shorten at the UTAS Rural Clinical School in Burnie. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

“In the event we’re elected next Saturday, one of our first acts will be to withdraw from the old government’s meaningless, insipid, useless submission,” Mr Shorten said in Burnie.

He said it was “unprecedented” for a government to argue so strongly for the independent umpire to increase wages.

“But it is unprecedented to live in a time where we have chronic wages stagnation, which is effectively eating into the household incomes of millions of Australian workers,” Mr Shorten said.

The Labor leader said he would argue on the first day of government for a real increase to award rates.

Labor leader Bill Shorten and Braddon candidate Justine Keay. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The Opposition has made wages a key election issue, arguing sluggish growth in earnings is being outstripped by cost of living pressures and corporate profits.

Mr Shorten’s promised intervention comes after the Australian Council of Trade Unions signalled it would get involved in the minimum wage review.

ACTU president Michele O’Neil will become the first person in that role to address a minimum wage case before the industrial umpire in decades.

She will present the union movement’s case for a 6 per cent rise, or about $43 a week, to a Fair Work Commission hearing in Sydney on Wednesday.

“The minimum wage should not just be enough to stop you starving, it should be enough to provide for a decent life for all full-time workers,” she said.

Labor has also promised to boost wages for childcare workers as well as restore penalty rates.

Company profits have risen 39 per cent while wages have gone up 5 per cent, Labor argues.