Low paid workers in the region are set to receive a 3.5% pay increase following an announcement from the Fair Work Commission yesterday.

From July 1, the minimum wage will be increased from $24.10 per hour, to $24.94 an hour.

Commission President Adam Hatcher says low-paid Australians had been “squeezed” amid the period of high inflation, and acknowledged that real wages had effectively gone backwards since July 2021.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions called for a 4.5 % increase to address years of workers falling back in real terms while the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, which represents smaller employers like cafes and restaurants, pushed for a rise of between 2 to 2.5 % to alleviate the stresses on businesses struggling to get by saying the pay rise as well as the increase to mandatory superannuation contributions coming into effect, would force many to lay off staff or shut their doors.