Wage case boost to SA’s lowest paid workers

Minister for Industrial Relations Russell Wortley has welcomed the decision by the Industrial Relations Commission of SA to increase the pay of the state’s lowest paid public sector workers. In its latest review of the Minimum Standard for Remuneration, the Industrial Relations Commission  supported the state government’s submission to provide a 3.4% pay rise to our lowest paid workers. “This decision means South Australia’s lowest paid workers under the state industrial system won’t  be left behind workers on the minimum national wage who were granted a 3.4% pay rise by Fair Work Australia in June,” said Wortley.

“The decision to increase the minimum wage by $19.70 a week for a full-time adult employee also  helps to maintain the real value of wages even during these times of relatively mild inflation. We all know cost-of-living pressures are a daily concern for South Australian households and any  additional income will help to ease that burden.”

Fair Work Australia’s June decision boosted the national minimum wage by $19.40 per week from $569.90 to $589.30 per week from 1 July 2011. That increase applied to the entire private sector in South Australia. “The decision increases the wages of about 1100 workers employed by the state government and up to 150 workers employed by local government within South Australia,” Wortley said. The 3.4% increase takes the State Minimum Award Wage and minimum standard remuneration for a full-time adult employee to $600 per week, up from $580.30 per week - an increase of $19.70 a week effective from 1 October 2011.