Wage movements page 11 of 13

A leading economist has warned Australia is in a "self-fulfilling cycle" of low productivity and wages growth after today's CPI figures showed year-on-year inflation almost flatlining at just 1%.

Annual growth in rates of pay excluding bonuses in the private sector has dropped to a new record low of just 1.9% in trend terms, according to the ABS.

IR barristers appointed to Federal Circuit Court; FWC member retires after almost 15 years; Wage rises lower in industries hit by resources downturn, says RBA; New FAAA leadership seeking to secure role in new Qantas aircraft; Agreement delivers wage justice for nurses, says Victorian Government; and Supermarket self-service hindering employment growth, says report.

Wage growth in private sector federal agreements approved by the FWC in the December quarter of last year dropped to a new 24-year low, according to the Department of Employment.

The union that represents cleaners, disability care workers and security guards is asking the FWC to "convene a special process" in the second half of the year to determine whether it can set a "medium-term target" for the minimum wage, to arrest what it says is a long-term downward trajectory.

Victorian paramedics' pay will increase by 20% to 28% after a landmark work value recommendation today by the Fair Work Commission.

The 2% rise in private sector rates of pay last year is the lowest in the almost 20 years of the Wage Price Index, according to the ABS.

Resources minister says project agreements worth considering; Workers have "right to know" how transition from fossil fuels will be managed, says Burrow; Public and private sector IT professionals' pay rises "diverging"; and Queensland Parliament rejects LNP bid to reverse entry rules.

Productivity and real unit labour costs are on the rise in the market sector, according to ABS data released today.

The federal government is seeking to break a bargaining impasse in the federal public sector by increasing its wages cap to 2% a year.