Minimum wage hike could force many small businesses to shutter: Opposition

Small businesses could be forced to shutter if Australians on minimum and award wages receive a pay rise, the opposition has warned.

The independent workplace relations umpire is undergoing its annual wage review this week and will hear from employers, unions and governments.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has called for a 5% increase and says inflation has left workers on awards more than $5000 worse off, even when accounting for their pay rises over the past three years.

But Nationals Deputy Leader Bridget McKenzie warns these rises could be eaten up by inflationary pressures.

“If the government doesn’t cut spending and get productivity going, every Australian that’s employed by a small business has their jobs at risk,” she told Today on Tuesday.

“Business is under pressure, particularly small and family-owned and run businesses — and they employ millions of Australians.”

The federal government has not called for a specific percentage increase and instead recommended “real wages of Australia’s low-paid workers do not go backwards“.

“We know that cost of living is a challenge and we want to make sure that (low-paid workers) wages do keep up with cost of living,” Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said.

Inflation has been moderating from its peak in late 2022 and lifted 4.1% in the 12 months to December last year.

The Fair Work Commission factors in economic conditions when setting wages, including cost of living pressures and their financial toll on households.

At the same time, the commission is also alert to the possibility of a wage-price spiral, where inflation expectations cause workers to ask for pay increases and businesses hike prices to cover those costs.

Employer groups will also have their say on the wage review this week.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has already advocated for an increase of no more than 2% for both minimum and award wage workers.

The employer group says inflation has been moderating and the industrial umpire had been generous in its past two decisions.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the lowest-paid workers were the hardest hit by inflation and businesses could afford the 5% increase.

“When inflation goes up businesses are able to adjust their prices to protect their margins, but workers pay does not move so easily,” she said.

The union boss also said the 5% increase would not be inflationary, with consumer prices moderating ahead of schedule even after the commission handed out the biggest minimum wage increase in four decades last year.

The decisions in the annual wage review affect about a quarter of Australian employees, including those on industry and business-specific awards and a smaller cohort on the minimum rate of pay.

This article was first published by AAP.