Find out if you just received the nationwide pay rise

Good news! Around one in four workers in Australia have just won a pay rise.

As of 1 July, workers on the national minimum wage will have a pay rise of 8.6 per cent and those on Award wages will have a pay rise of 5.75 per cent.

Around 2.6 million workers across the country will receive these pay rises.

How did this pay rise happen?

Increases to the minimum wage don’t happen by magic. 

Each year, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) decides how much to raise minimum wages during the Annual Wage Review. The FWC reviews submissions – including from big business interests as well as unions – in the lead up to the decision. 

But while big business always argue for a real wage cut, union members demand increases that keep workers’ heads above water. With the cost-of-living crisis putting huge pressure on workers, wage growth is a matter of survival for too many. 

When you’re in a union, you know that wage increases don’t have to be just an annual event. As a union member, there are so many ways you can win a pay rise.

Check and double check

Although the announcement from the Fair Work Commission has already come out, it’ll be another few weeks until the pay rises come into effect. 

But as soon as you get your payslip for a pay period after 1 July 2023, check to make sure the increase has been included in your wages.  

Any employers who refuse to implement the increases are stealing your wages. So, if the numbers on your pay slips don’t look right to you, contact your union straight away.  

Being in a union is the best way to make sure you don’t get ripped off at work and to make sure your wages keep moving up. It’s why on average union members earn 26 per cent more than non-members.

Cover photo credit: Jason Dent on Unsplash