Land of the fair go fails to live up to its name

Sydney Morning Herald

Thursday July 9, 2009

The Fair Pay Commission's minimum wage decision could claim a shred of soundness and would certainly be fairer if every other industry, political and professional group in the economy had voluntarily instituted a salary freeze during the economic downturn ("Minimum wage freeze causes union anger", July 8).Did the commission forget continuing tax cuts disproportionately favouring higher income earners, government cash payments that flowed into small and larger business coffers and large flat-rate price rises to essentials such as energy, water and transport over the past 12 months?Over the past 25 years, Australia has seen inequality grow in every recession and in every subsequent boom. It is an appalling legacy that yesterday's decision limply reinforces.Gary Moore BalmainYet again the most vulnerable in society, in this case those on the minimum wage, are deemed themost able to bear the weight of the economic crisis.The Federal Government has felt compelled to honour a tax cut to the wealthy (a promise stolen from John Howard) and then has the nerve to say it is disappointed at the minimum wage decision. As a lifetime Labor supporter I can tell them I am mightily "disappointed".Scott Lowe LawsonIf it's not the fear of inflation, it's the fear of unemployment. If not them, it's something else; always something else. Why is it that those who can least afford it and who are least to blame for the current economic crises pay the highest price? Is there some iron law of economics Australian-style that demands an inverse relationship between fault and penalty?To add insult to injury, the decision to freeze the minimum wage was made by an institution named the Fair Pay Commission. I hope this is not a portent for Fair Work Australia.Andrew Thomas LeichhardtI doubt that any of those who agreed to or applauded the decision of the Fair Pay Commission could support themselves, let alone a family, on $543.78 a week.Con Vaitsas LakembaThe vested interest groups from business must have done a good job on the Fair Pay Commission. When business was booming in the mid-2000s business groups argued we could afford pay rises of only a few dollars a week. Now the big end of town has run off with its profits and left the world a financial wreck.The commission has not even given the lowest paid workers enough to cover inflation. Effectively they are getting a pay cut. What a disgrace.Neville Klintberg Toowong (Qld)