ARTICLE · 29 NOVEMBER 2006

Australian Fair Pay Commission´s First Minimum Wage Decision

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On Thursday 26 October 2006, the Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC) awarded wage increases for employees who had previously relied upon state and federal awards for their wages.

AustraliaEmployment and HR

Anthony Longland

Shivchand Jhinku

A New Wage Increase

On Thursday 26 October 2006, the Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC) awarded wage increases for employees who had previously relied upon state and federal awards for their wages.

The increase is significant, being:

$22.04

more than

$27.36

less than

In addition, for those employees employed under awards that had not been updated to take into account the 2005 National Wage Case, they will receive an additional $17.00 per week increase.

The decision will apply to all employees under state and federal awards. The wages clauses of those awards have been removed from the awards and are now contained in new instruments called 'Australian Pay and Classifications Scales' (APCS). That is why the AFPC can amend them, rather than the various industrial relations commissions.

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