Episode 92: Workers win pay rises, how Labor won government, coal fails during snap and good news about energy transitions in WA

Van Badham and Ben Davison celebrate Minimum Wage day as 2.7 Million low paid workers in Australia are set to receive at least a 4.6% and up to 5.2% increase in wages.  We look at who will get what and when.

As well as the dollars and cents, Van and Ben break down the economic and socio-political realities of the minimum wage decision, what we need to do to help lift the wages of the other 75% of workers in Australia not on minimum awards (it starts by joining your union australianunions.org.au/wow) and how an Albanese Labor government faced down the business lobby fear campaign to deliver better wages.  

The leader of Australian Unions, Sally McManus, has called for systemic changes saying, "the current system is failing. It is unable to deliver wage increases despite low unemployment, high productivity and high profits." Perhaps unintentionally parts of the business lobby have supported the call for reforms and demanded "more effective enterprise bargaining".

Van and Ben also look at the national press club address by ALP National Secretary Paul Erickson and discuss how Labor won the 2022 election and the political reality of Australia being a "Two party, Labor Party and non-Labor parties, system".

As Australia shivers in a cold snap energy producers have shut down 25% of the energy generation and Van and Ben discuss how coal and privatisation are failing our nation.

But the good news is that in Western Australia climate action means huge investments in renewables, new jobs and the closure of coal plants by 2030!

Plus Van reads out the names of our Cadre and Extend the Reach supporters from our supporter page www.buymeacoffee.com/weekonwednesday