Aust. workers get 1.9p.c. rise

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 5

Aust. workers get 1.9p.c. rise

NZPA Melbourne The Australian Arbitration Commission has given Australian workers a pay rise of up to $3.80 a week. The commission announced on Tuesday that workers will get a 1.9 per cent increase in pay to apply to wages up to $2OO. People earning more than $2OO will get a flat $3.80 rise. The average Australian wage at present is about $l9O. The commission rejected a Federal Government proposal to defer the March quarter consumer price index increase of 2.3 per cent for three months. Wage increases in Australia are linked to the rise in the price index. The president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (Mr Bob Hawke) said the 1.9 per cent rise was “not a bad decision.” He said that the decision “keeps the wage indexation principle alive.” The decision brought to an Send the three-month voluntary pay and price pause called by the Prime Minister (Mr Malcom Fraser). The freeze had failed to win widespread support and the Arbitration Commission chairman ! (Sir John Moore) said that there was not enough evid-

lence of a price pause to justify imposing a wage freeze. | After the pay announceiment, the Prime Minister told ; Parliament that the wages and price pause as such was over. However, he called on Australia’s price-setters, and Australia’s wage-earners, to show the greatest degree of restraint possible in the com- : ing months. ! The wage-price pause, announced on April 13, was to (have lasted for three months [from that date. I However, after unions rej fused to agree to a voluntary [wage pause, the Minister for [Business and Consumer [Affairs (Mr John Howard) [ told Parliament that the Govlemment acknowledged it [would be unreasonable to ex[pect business to continue to [exercise the then current I level of price restraint unless [the national wage decision i showed a substantial degree [of reciprocity. The executive director of [the Melbourne Chamber of [Commerce, (Mr Alan Lovell) [said that the wage decision [emphasised the need for an I immediate conference between the Federal and State [governments, employers, and ' unions.