Surely the fair work commission would have had the brains to at least wait until the economic information was released, before placing even more preasure on an already shrinking economy, especially given the slow down in the mining industry, the driving force of our economy.

Total economic vandalism from yet another out of touch body, fueled by an even more out of touch union movement.

So I guess the big question is, will we see wages fall now?

The next thing on their (unions) agenda will be their much pushed for HUGE 33.3% increase in super, of cause, in leu of a wage rise. Yea right!

What a joke!

One saving grace is the wicked redheaded witch will not be in power to rubber stamp the continuing demise of Australia, due to political incompetence.

The evil you know is better than the evil you don't know.
With regard to the present Labor group this statement is wrong.

The sooner they go the better.

Why would you want wages to fall. Why should wages of the lowest paid fall while those at the middle to high end continue to enjoy salary rises?

How are low paid workers supposed to keep up with the cost of living?

If you are going to reduce wages at all, reduce them across the board. The largesse and greed is not at the bottom end of incomes but at the middle to upper level. With growing wage disparity the last thing any nation needs is a lower minimum wage. The welfare costs of that will end up costing all of us a lot more in the long term.

Simple maths.
If wages fall by 10 percent.
So too will the economy.
Small business will feel the brunt.
Sorry but 0nly post for me I am no fan of DILLARD but find PS offensive.

Philip S - The evil you know is better than the evil you don't know.
With regard to the present Labor group this statement is wrong.

Presumably you don't live in Queensland, otherwise you might just have a different view. We had no option but to get rid of GoAnna the Blight, but I'm not aware of one resident of Queensland who hasn't had the despairing thought 'what have we done'. Maybe if we'd had the foresight to not give General Disaster such a massive majority ..........

pelican - Why would you want wages to fall. Why should wages of the lowest paid fall while those at the middle to high end continue to enjoy salary rises?

Thats EXACTLY the point. Standing from a distance, its quite clear that worker wages are such that many industries are unviable. On the other hand, cost of living is such that many if not most workers are doing it very hard. Whilst I fully support incentives where they are due & warranted, crazy renumeration for unproductive snouts needs to be addressed as a matter of priority. How is another question. The exponential increase in gubmunt charges doesn't help, especially considering what we pay elected officials.

Pelican something has to give.

We are on our way to the Mediterranean but only their problems, if we keep going as we are.

Government is all ready spending money it can't raise, & keeps promising more spending.

Companies can not make a profit with current wage rates, unless they have something special like the mining boom supporting them. Manufacturing of domestic use products is gone or going.

Workers can barely live at all, let alone comfortably on their income, after government has ripped almost half of it off them, one way or another. Higher GST anyone?

Sooner or later government particularly has to pull it's head in, & stop trying to keep almost half the population in comfort, off the other half, who are struggling. The buying of votes has to stop. Those weho work in productive industries should be at least a little better off than those receiving welfare.

We really only have two choices. Reduce the government payroll including all levels of education, health, bureaucracy & welfare by 50% or more, or start harvesting the oil under coastal central Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, & in our shale deposits.

Without one or the other, here comes your Mediterranean holiday, from work at least.