Wage boost a sign of confidence: Shorten

June 1st, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

The minimum wage increase handed down by Fair Work Australia is a sign of confidence in the Australian economy, Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten says.

Mr Shorten welcomed the $17.10-a-week pay increase for Australia’s lowest-paid workers, saying the FWA Wage Review Panel had granted the government’s request to reflect a rise in the cost of living in its decision.

“We think the announcement … is a vote of confidence in the Australian economy,” Mr Shorten told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.

Mr Shorten said it was a sign of how far Australia had come from the global financial crisis.

He said the decision was also a reminder of the importance of a fair workplace relations system.

The government’s increased childcare rebates, paid parental leave scheme and family payments for teenagers also showed it was committed to supporting low-income earners, he said.

“We are the government who can be trusted to ensure that the low paid have the decent deal that they seek,” he said.

“If you’re low paid you do need every dollar you can get.”

Mr Shorten called on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to outline his industrial relations policy.

The more than 1.36 million workers on the minimum wage will earn $606.40 a week, up from $589.30, from July 1.