3/6/25 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Effective from 1 July 2025, minimum and Modern Award wages will surge by 3.5%, delivering a crucial $35.05 weekly boost to minimum wage earners, lifting their pay to $947.95 per week, an annual pay boost of $1666 if working on a full-time basis.
The Fair work Commission today handed down it’s annual wage review decision. This case determines how much (if at all) minimum and award wages will increase in the upcoming year.
This significant win comes despite relentless opposition from business groups who attempted to limit the increase to a paltry 2%. At the same time these same business groups are trying to slash penalty rates of the same workers.
“We fought for this, and we won,” declared SA Unions secretary Dale Beasley. “This 3.5% increase, putting an extra $35.05 in the pockets of minimum wage earners every week, is a direct rebuke to business groups who prioritised their profits over the livelihoods of working families. They lobbied hard for only a measly 2% increase, a figure that would have left workers further behind.”
“Today’s increase directly benefits over 20% of the Australian workforce on Modern Awards. A group overwhelmingly comprised of lower-paid, women, working insecure jobs. This increase is absolutely critical for their survival,” said Beasley.
This wage increase reflects a real wage increase of 1.1%, due to the 2.4% CPI increase in March.
The Albanese government explicitly advocated for a real wage increase for award workers in their submission to the Fair Work Commission. In stark contrast, the Liberal opposition actively chose to abandon working people, refusing to support any increase to the minimum wage whatsoever.
Beasley highlighted the stark contrast, “The Liberals silence was deafening, revealing their unwavering commitment to keeping wages low, a policy that defined their decade in power.”
“Our fight isn’t over,” Beasley added. “If your pay doesn’t reflect this 3.5% increase from July, or if you’re not getting your fair share, join your union. It’s the only way to secure your entitlements and build a fairer Australia.”
