For trainees, the
award wage rate was calculated using the National Training Wage Award 2000 [AP790899], using a combination of qualification level, occupation, industry, highest level of schooling completed, whether still at school and, in the case of Certificate IV traineeships, duration of employment in their current job.
The year 2006 was also noteworthy because State industrial tribunals found gender-based undervaluation of the industrial
award wages in one industry overwhelmingly dominated by women workers.
In 2005, for instance,
award wages were raised by an absolute amount of AUD 17 across the whole wage grid for all award rates of pay.
JG workers would receive the Federal minimum
award wage and conditions.
The decisions lead to an across-the-board adjustment of all
award wage rates.
All of these alternative, non-compensation-based reasons to join trade unions may be sufficient to maintain Australia's union membership (41% in 1990 [Australian Bureau of Statistics 1990]), especially since union dues average less than 1% of
award wages.(2)
How much
award wage workers end up earning also depends on how many hours they work, and increases in wage rates can adversely affect this, both by increasing the probability of future unemployment and by causing offsetting reductions in the number of hours worked (bearing in mind that many of the low paid are also employed on a casual basis).
The composition of the minimum wage had two main components: a basic or minimum wage which had to be paid to all unskilled adult mainly male workers and various margins for skill to be added to the basic wage to determine the
award wage for the particular occupation.
If the claim is successful, the
award wage for the lowest paid would increase to $615.30 per week.
The principles in NSW and Queensland conjoined a system of industry
award wage determination in those two jurisdictions.
'[The] decision will help meet the needs of
award wage earners and we are pleased it is above inflation.
