The Catholic Church has called for the low-paid to be given a boost in this year's minimum wage assessment, saying they did not fare well in this year's federal budget. The Australian Fair Pay Commission (AFPC) is considering what adjustments to make ahead of an announcement next month.
Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations chairman Brian Lawrence said parents could not raise and educate children on $755 per week - the current payment before tax for about one in 10 Australian workers.
Mr Lawrence said tax cuts in the May federal budget were modest for low income families.
"The worker on the federal minimum wage (FMW) - $27,223 per year - will receive a tax cut of $8.65 per week," he said in a statement.
"For workers receiving $35,000 to $45,000 per year, the tax cuts will be $20.19 per week.
"So a worker on the FMW will be getting proportionately less tax relief than higher-paid workers who do not depend on the wages safety net.
"Low-paid workers did not get any special treatment from the 2008 budget. They have been relatively disadvantaged by the tax cuts."
Mr Lawrence said the tax cuts were promised as a real benefit by both sides in the recent election campaign.
"Just think what would have happened if one side or the other even hinted at the possibility that they might be taken away from some working families by way of reduced wage increases," he said.
Mr Lawrence said discounting of wage increases by the AFPC because of the tax cuts would tip the scales against the most disadvantaged working families.
"The commonwealth government must take a public and principled stand on the tax cuts issue and formally communicate it to the AFPC," he said.
"It is not enough to quarantine the tax cuts. The commonwealth also needs to take a stand on the real wage issue.
"Consistent with its policy of social inclusion, the commonwealth should state that the real value of the wage safety net for low paid workers should be maintained."
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