UnionsWA today commented on submissions made public in advance of the WA State Minimum Wage case including the call by the Australian Hotels Association (WA) for the minimum wage to be frozen in WA.

UnionsWA today commented on submissions made public in advance of the WA State Minimum Wage case including the call by the Australian Hotels Association (WA) for the minimum wage to be frozen in WA.

Meredith Hammat, Secretary UnionsWA said:

“For an employer body such as the Australian Hotels Association to propose a freeze to the minimum wage is extreme greed.

“Hotel owners want to freeze the hourly rate at $17.00.

“They complain of their own rising costs for water, gas and electricity as though low waged workers don’t also face those increased costs.

“Over the past seven years the WA Minimum Wage has grown by only 28.1%, while rents have risen by 63.3% and utility costs such as water and power by 81.1%.

“Recent federal and state budgets are set to increase living cost further again.

“Those on average or higher incomes are better able to absorbs such costs, the low paid are not.

“UnionsWA is calling for an increase for low paid workers of 93 cents per hour or up 5.5% to $681.42 per week for full time workers.”

Sources:

The Australian Hotels Association WA submission is available here.

The submission from UnionsWA is here.