6 days ago
Australia news live: union chief says minimum wage still not ‘livable' despite yesterday's rise; Victorian police hunt dancing burglar
Update:
Date: 2025-06-03T21:36:27.000Z
Title: Trade union says even with 3.5% rise, new minimum wage still not 'livable'
Content:
Sally McManus, secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said the body still believes there's 'more catch-up to do' for lower-wage workers after it announced a 3.5% increase to the minimum wage yesterday. While the new rate will be $24.95 an hour, she said for a full-time worker it's still 'not enough to live on'. McManus told Radio National Breakfast:
I think it's a good outcome. We always wanted one that was more than inflation. …
Minimum wages actually have gone backwards over the last couple of years because of that inflation spike. And that's also what small business owners have got to think about, too. Their workers have gone backwards in real terms, and if they don't start to catch up now, when are they going to catch up?
She also addressed criticism that small businesses would struggle to absorb the costs associated with a higher minimum wage, saying critics predict closures every year that don't take place.
Over the last four years, businesses between one and 19 staff grew by 108,000 or 13%. For those over 20 [people], they grew even faster by 36%. So they don't come back and say, oh, sorry, we were wrong.
Update:
Date: 2025-06-03T21:26:49.000Z
Title: Good morning
Content: , and happy Wednesday. Nick Visser here to take you through the day's breaking news. Let's get started:
Sally McManus, the secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, defended the decision to raise the minimum wage by 3.5% yesterday. She said even with the increase to $24.95 an hour, real wages had gone backwards in recent years and 'if they don't start to catch up now, when are they going to?'. She points out the minimum wage is still not enough for most people to live on.
Police in Victoria are appealing for information to identify a dancing thief who was 'feeling the groove' before he allegedly stole laptops from a local school. Officials released video footage of a man 'dancing, spinning and jumping' and hope the clip will assist in their inquiries.
We'll also be sharing updates on Labor's plans to change taxes on large superannuation balances, the ongoing fallout over Senator Dorinda Cox's defection from the Greens and we could have results from the seat of Bradfield today, which is finalising a recount.
Stick with us.
