Need For High Skill/High Wage Approach Grows Stronger
“Results of an EMA survey released today highlight again the need for more investment in skill,” said Council of Trade
Unions secretary, Paul Goulter today.
76% of employers surveyed by the Employers and Manufacturers Association expect to take on more staff.
“As consensus grows around the call for a high skill approach, there also has to be acknowledgement of the need for
higher wages,” said Paul Goulter.
“Although the survey shows average wage increases of around 3.8%, the recent Labour Labour Cost Index shows that figure
drops to just over 2% annually when it includes workers who did not get any wage increase in the 12 month period
surveyed.”
Paul Goulter said our pay rates lagged around 26% behind Australian rates.
“After years of low increases, we will not see the increases in skills without a sustained period of real wage
increase,” he said.
Paul Goulter said it was good to see from the survey results that increases in wage levels did not deter employers from
taking on new staff.