Australia ready to implement minimum wage hike

The minimum wage in Australia will increase to A$40 (US$27.94) a week, with the hourly pay rate increasing from A$20.33 (US$14.2) to A$21.38 (US$14.93), ruled the Fair Work Commission. 

The move, slated to come into effect from July 1, sets the pay of at least 2.7 million Australians.

However, the wage hike would be delayed to October 1 in the aviation, tourism and hospitality industries due to “exceptional circumstances”, said the commission, reports The Guardian. 

“It makes a difference to people who are struggling with the cost of living, and it justifies our position that we took in making a different submission to the Fair Work Commission, that said we did not want people who are on the minimum wage to go backwards,” said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

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“Many of those people who are on the minimum wage are the heroes who saw us through the pandemic. These workers deserve more than our thanks, they deserve a pay rise and today, they’ve got it,” he added.