Unions will push for a $43 weekly boost to the minimum wage, arguing the current rate forces people to live below the poverty line.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is urging the Fair Work Commission to start with a $43-a-week increase this year, and assuming a 1.5 per cent increase in the median next year, an additional 5.5 per cent rise in 2020.
While Labor had hinted it could change the law if elected to government to influence the minimum wage set by the commission, big business has warned against compromising the independence of the tribunal.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry argues the rate has been set by an independent body rather than governments for more than a century.
