FEDERAL award wages will soon rise by $17 a week in some cases and by $15 a week in others.
The wage increases do not apply to Western Australian awards. The WA Industrial Relations Commission is to rule on the State’s wage case in the coming weeks.
Nor do the increases apply to workers on Federal certified agreements, WA enterprise bargaining agreements, WA Employer Employee Agreements or Australian Workplace Agreements.
Workers on Federal award rates up to and including $731.80 a week can expect a $17 increase once that particular award has the new wage clause inserted.
The $15-a-week increase applies to workers on award rates above $731.80.
Federal Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott has also given the wage rise his blessing.
While some in business have argued the wage rise is excessive, the wage increase could have been much higher.
The WA Government supported a joint submission from other Labor State and Territory governments backing an $18 a week increase and the Australian Council of Trade Unions had been pushing for a $24.60 a week rise.
WA Consumer and Employment Protection Minister John Kobelke said the WA Government would ask the WAIRC to pass the increase on to State awards and the State adult minimum wage.
“A decision by the WAIRC to support the submission would mean the State’s adult minimum wage would have increased by $80.40 per week since Labor came to power – a 22 per cent increase in two years,” he said.