The Wire

Australia’s peak union body, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, is pushing for a $28 a week increase in the minimum wage. The ACTU are campaigning on behalf of 1.4 million low-paid workers to lift the full-time minimum wage from $570 a week, to nearly $600. The government has backed the union, with Treasurer Wayne Swan urging Fair Work Australia to take into account the rising cost of living in its decision. But the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry claim the proposed rise is too high, saying the ACTU is treating small and medium businesses as “cash cows ready to be milked”.They believe a $9.50 increase a week is reasonable.