Worksite

The national minimum wage is $24.95 per hour, as of 1 July 2025.

This is the minimum hourly rate you can be paid for the work you do, regardless of your job or industry.

Anything below the minimum wage is illegal – unless you:

• are younger than 21 years old
• are on an apprenticeship or a traineeship
• have a disability that reduces your capacity to work

In these cases, the pay rates are a percentage of the national minimum wage.

In Australia, our minimum wage is set by an independent government body (the Fair Work Commission).

Every year, the FWC reviews the national minimum wage (and also the minimum rates of pay in awards) and decides how much it should increase.

Every year, union members argue (on behalf of nearly three million workers who rely on these wages) for a fair increase that keeps up with the cost of living.

When a decision is made, the new minimum wage comes into effect from 1 July each year.

Pay rises don’t just happen – union members fight for them! Learn more and join here.

‘Junior rates’ apply for workers who are younger than 21 years old on the minimum wage. Some awards also have junior wages for workers under 21.

That means that the pay rates for workers under 21 are a percentage of the full adult wage (so like, 70% or 80% etc).

But the good news is that union members recently had a big win, which means workers age 18+ in retail, fast food and pharmacy will start to get paid full adult wages!

An award is a legally enforceable document that sets minimum terms and conditions for your job; like the rates of pay, leave entitlements and hours of work.

There are over 100 awards covering different industries, like retail, fast food, and hospitality. Which means most workers are covered by one.

An agreement (sometime EA or EBA) is also a document which sets out minimum employment conditions (including pay), but usually only for one workplace.

Agreements are literally written ‘deals’ made between employers and workers (represented by the union members) about the terms and conditions of working there.

Agreements must offer better conditions for the workers than the relevant award (that would otherwise apply to the workers, if the agreement didn’t exist) – which is why having an agreement at your workplace is the best way to get decent pay and conditions!

Wage theft is when your boss deliberately doesn’t pay you what you’re legally entitled to. It includes not paying penalty rates for weekends or public holidays, skipping overtime, not paying superannuation, making you work through breaks unpaid, or paying a flat rate regardless of when you work.

One in five workers under 25 are victims of wage theft. Thanks to union campaigns, wage theft is now a criminal offense with major penalties – employers face up to 10 years jail and millions in fines.

If you think you’re being underpaid, contact your union!

Unions were started by workers to give workers a stronger voice.

When workers come together as a union (when you ‘join’ your union you become a union ‘member’), we have more power to fight for better pay and conditions, than trying to fight on our own.

That’s why union members earn more and have stronger safety standards at work.

Any job, any industry – there’s a union for you.

The quickest way to join is via our join form, which will guide you through finding your union. Or call us on 1300 486 466, Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm (AEST).

Nope. Everyone in Australia has the right to be a union member. Your employer cannot discriminate against you or prevent you from joining, or from seeking help from your union.

Yeah, we do! Research shows that workers who are union members take home $251 more per week than non-members.

In fact, being a union member leads to higher pay, no matter how you’re employed or where you are in your working life.

Casual workers who are union members earn a whopping $11 more than casuals who have not joined their union!

And workers aged 15-24 years who are union members earn more per hour than non-members too.

Remember: when you read or hear that “union members earn more than non-members”, it doesn’t mean that a member will earn more than a non-member in the same workplace. Nor does it mean that as soon as you join your union, your pay automatically goes up.

It means that in general, union members have higher wages than non-members. And generally, ‘unionised’ workplaces or industries (where lots of the workers are union members) have higher rates of pay, than workplaces or industries with lower numbers of union members.

Which is why joining your union (and your workmates too!) is the key to getting paid more.

Union fees fit your situation, and they’re 100% tax deductible: 

• Part-time or lower wages: $28 first month, then your union’s regular rate
• Full-time: $56 first month, then around $10/week (varies by industry)

Here’s why it’s worth it: When workers stick together, we negotiate better deals. More members = more power at the table. 

So if you want better pay throughout your career, joining your union is the smartest move.

Union members have so many of the rights we have at work today through decades of organising and campaigning, including:

• Annual leave, sick leave and family and domestic violence leave
• Weekends
• Penalty rates and overtime pay
• Wage theft laws

… and heaps more!