Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Yesterday my department released the Trends in Enterprise Bargaining report for the June 2010 quarter. This report backs up the wages price index data released yesterday, showing that collective agreements are in fact delivering moderate, sustainable wage increases. The current average annual wage increase in agreements is 4.1 per cent, remaining unchanged from the previous quarter. While industries like construction are experiencing slightly higher increases, this is not flowing into other sectors. I think it is very much a sign of a well-functioning, flexible labour market.

Some commentators have expressed concern about excessive wage claims, but I think it is inappropriate to comment on every single wage claim made as part of a bargaining process. It is the government’s job to ensure that we have a workplace relations framework capable of delivering fair and flexible outcomes for employers and employees. (Time expired)