Wage Increases in June 2004 Quarter Agreements

By ACIRRT

The gap between union and non-union agreements is widening.

The average annual wage increase for certified agreements registered in the June 2004 quarter was 4.6 percent (per agreement), up by 0.35 percentage points from 4.25 percent in the March 2004 quarter. A widening gap between average annual wage increases in union and non-union agreements has been reported over the last 12 months (ADAM Reports 37, 38, 39 & 40), closing slightly in the March 2004 quarter. In the June 2004 quarter this gap has again widened to 1.8 percentage points. Figure 1.1 below shows that in the June 2004 quarter, the average annual wage increase was 5.1 percent in union agreements and 3.4 percent to non-union agreements. Private sector agreements certified in the June 2004 quarter have shown an increase in average annual wage increases from the previous quarter from 4.3 percentage points to 4.6%. While in the public sector, average annual wage increases have improved from 4.1 percent in the March quarter to 4.6 percent.