SMH · Nick Newling · Thursday 26 March 2026
The Albanese government has submitted a real-wage increase to the Fair Work Commission for millions of workers, positioning itself between the ACTU's larger claim and employer resistance.
Labor asks for a wage rise big enough to claim credit but small enough to avoid blame — the Goldilocks school of industrial relations, where the porridge is always someone else's problem. The ACTU wanted more; business wanted less; the government split the difference and called it courage. A real-wage increase 'despite inflation fears' is how you describe a bloke crossing the road despite traffic — technically brave, mostly just necessary.