Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I've got some very good news, Senator Smith, to round out this sitting fortnight. The Albanese Labor government is absolutely committed to getting wages moving again, especially for low-paid workers. It is this Labor government that has advocated each and every year for a wage rise for workers on minimum award wages, and on Thursday last week we made our submission to the Fair Work Commission, calling for an economically sustainable real wage increase for our lowest-paid workers on minimum award wages. That will help almost 2.7 million workers across the country. Over the course of our time in office, the minimum wage has increased by over $9,000 per year—essential cost-of-living support for the nation's lowest-paid workers.

As a result of this government's workplace reform, we've made sure that gender equality is at the heart of workplace laws, which has led to the commission delivering for workers who've been undervalued for too long. We have funded wage increases for aged-care workers and early childhood educators, to recognise the important work they do, and of course we've legislated to protect penalty and overtime rates for works on award rates, because they deserve to be properly paid for working unsociable hours. This Labor government is also restoring balance to the Fair Work Commission so both workers and employers get a fair hearing before the commission.

Yesterday the independent Fair Work Commission made a historic decision by ruling that young adult workers should earn adult wages. The government welcomes the decision to abolish junior rates for 18- to 20-year-old workers in retail, fast food and pharmacy. This decision, which is up there with the introduction of equal pay for women in the 1970s, means that tens of thousands of young adult workers will earn more at this important time in their lives. In its decision, the commission considered the need for time for employers and businesses to adjust and recommended pay rises be phased in over four years. I congratulate the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association for taking on this case and for securing this really important win for young workers.