WAGES – AUSTRALIA

Coles slammed over pay rorts

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Original article by Michael Owen
The Australian – Page: 4 : 10-Mar-16

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James has criticised Coles for failing to ensure that supermarket trolley collectors employed by sub-contractors were being paid their full wages. She says large companies can expect to be held accountable for wage exploitation in all levels of the supply chain. The FWO has successfully prosecuted two trolley collection businesses that underpaid staff in Adelaide. Coles has also agreed to provide the employees with substantial back pay.

CORPORATES
COLES SUPERMARKETS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, STARLINK OPERATIONS GROUP PTY LTD

Top women closing gap on pay as earnings hit $580k

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 2 : 1-Mar-16

Data from the Australian Taxation Office shows that the three per cent of taxpayers in the highest marginal tax bracket accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the total income tax paid in fiscal 2014. Meanwhile, the average salary of male CEOs and directors rose by 10 per cent to $A667,000 during the financial year, while the average salary of their female counterparts increased by 20 per cent to $A580,000. Medical specialists and financial industry professionals were also among those with the highest incomes.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Beef up workers’ rights to halt exploitation

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Original article by Mark Zirnsak, Heather Moore
The Age – Page: 18 : 11-Jan-16

There is growing evidence that Australian employers are underpaying staff in a wide range of sectors, particular people who are on temporary work visas or student visas. Temporary workers supplied by labour hire firms are also being exploited, with low wages and long working hours. The Productivity Commission has made a number of welcome recommendations to address the issue, including increased funding for the Fair Work Ombudsman and ensuring that people on temporary work visas are fully informed of their rights.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, PIZZA HUT AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND, BAIADA POULTRY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, JL POULTRY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA, BAPTIST CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

Fed, China fears hit iron ore, copper

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Original article by Jacob Greber, Stephen Cauchi
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 13 : 19-Nov-15

The latest downturn in the iron ore price will put pressure on Australia’s terms of trade as Treasurer Scott Morrison prepares to release a Budget update in late 2015. Budget forecasts in May were based on an average iron ore price of $US48 per tonne in 2015-16. Although the price of the steel input rebounded to around $US60 in July, it has fallen to $US45.58 in mid-November. Slower growth in wages will also impact on government revenue.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, BLOOMBERG LP

Pay rises in low-wage era few

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Aug-15

Changing jobs is no longer a passport to a higher salary, according to recruitment agencies. The growth in wages in the private sector is at a record low, with only a 2.2 increase in 2014-15. Employees seeking a pay rise must demonstrate their work was critical to the employer’s goals or that they had a unique set of skills.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, RANDSTAD RECRUITMENT PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RESOURCES INSTITUTE, YARRA VALLEY WATER

Workers accept Holden payout

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Original article by Sarah Martin
The Australian – Page: 2 : 6-Nov-14

John Camillo, South Australian secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union, has announced that its members have voted in favour of the new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) at GM Holden. It has been lodged with the Fair Work Commission, but is also likely to be the last EBA as the car maker will withdraw from local assembly by 2017. Until then wages will increase 3% per annum, and voluntary redundancy packages are being offered that consist of 3.5 weeks’ worth of pay for each year of service

CORPORATES
GM HOLDEN LIMITED, GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING WORKERS’ UNION, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, FORD MOTOR COMPANY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AUSTRALIA LIMITED, TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

Leverage from two-tier wages

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Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 17-Oct-14

The new enterprise agreements for warehouse staff at Coca-Cola Amatil and Woolworths provide for new employees to be paid lower wages than existing staff. The new agreement for staff at Woolworths’ distribution facility in Brisbane includes a four per cent pay rise for current employees, higher annual leave loadings and an increase in loadings for shift workers

CORPORATES
COCA-COLA AMATIL LIMITED – ASX CCL, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, HOLDING REDLICH, AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE

National income pie shrinks

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 4-Sep-14

New figures show that there was an 0.4 per cent decline in Australia’s real net national disposable income during the 2013-14 financial year. This followed a 1.6 per cent decline in 2012-13, and it is the first time since the early 1990s that national income has fallen in two successive years. Meanwhile, wages rose by 1.3 per cent in 2013-14, while there was 0.5 per cent growth in GDP during the June 2014 quarter

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BANK OF AMERICA AUSTRALIA LIMITED, MERRILL LYNCH (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA