1 May 2022
ACTU’s Campaign For ‘Secure’ Work Is Misguided
The Australian Council of Trade Unions’ (ACTU) drive against flexible working arrangements is set to continue throughout the election campaign, with the release of its latest report: “Missing in Action on Secure Jobs.” Central to the report is the estimate that up to 4.15 million workers all around the country are currently in insecure work, making up 31 percent of
4 December 2020
Modern Labor’s Forgotten Workers
What ACTU boss Sally McManus said about blue-collar workers at the National Press Club a few days ago doesn’t quite compare with Hillary Clinton describing Donald Trump’s supporters as a “basket of deplorables”. But the comments from McManus, nonetheless, provide an insight into the priorities of the ACTU and show how far removed from the opinion of mainstream Australians the union
22 March 2019
Labor Push On Minimum Wage Will Hurt Those It’s Meant To Help
Bill Shorten has declared the next federal election to be a referendum on wages and has committed to raising the minimum wage to become a “living wage”. A living wage would be set to an amount that could cover necessary living expenses. While Labor has not indicated how this would be determined, the ACTU has called for the minimum wage
1 June 2018
Fair Work Commission Rejects ACTU’S Living Wage
“Today’s decision from the Fair Work Commission rubbishes the Australian Council of Trade Union’s call for a ‘living wage’,” said Aaron Lane, Legal Fellow at free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. “By ‘living wage’, the ACTU means a massive hike in the minimum wage. The Fair Work Commission today rejected that approach, saying that increases of the
8 November 2017
ACTU’s ‘Living Wage’ Will Push Up Business Costs And Boost Joblessness
The “living wage” proposed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions would increase poverty and make the poorest in our society worse off. The ACTU is calling for the replacement of the existing minimum wage, which is set by the Fair Work Commission balancing both macroeconomic performance and living standards, with a living wage focusing exclusively on living standards. The
2 November 2017
ACTU Right On The Problem; Wrong On The Solution
“The ACTU is right to say that the rising cost of living needs urgent policy attention. But the right way to reduce the cost of living is to cut red tape to increase competition in the energy, housing, education, and childcare sectors,” said Daniel Wild, research fellow with the free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs. Today the
