Annual Wage Review 2013–14 - [2013] FWC 4686

[2013] FWC 4686

FAIR WORK COMMISSION

STATEMENT

Fair Work Act 2009
s.285—Annual wage reviews to be conducted

Annual Wage Review 2013–14
(C2014/1)

JUSTICE ROSS, PRESIDENT

MELBOURNE, 17 JULY 2013

RESEARCH PROGRAM

[1] The Annual Wage Review 2012-13 decision stated that the Commission intended to give consideration to a research program for the Annual Wage Review 2013-14 as soon as practicable:

“We intend to give consideration to the research program for the Annual Wage Review 2013–14 as soon as practicable and will invite interested parties to lodge research proposals. The research program will not necessarily be restricted to the parties’ proposals.” 1

[2] Before inviting submissions for the Commission’s research program, it is relevant to note that the Commission has already committed significant resources to a number of research projects to meet the Commission’s previous research program priorities. 2 This includes the commissioning of the ‘Award-reliance’ survey and ‘Minimum wages and their role in the process and incentive to bargain’ research being conducted by the Workplace Research Centre of the University of Sydney. It is anticipated that this research will be published in the last quarter of 2013 to inform the Annual Wage Review 2013-14.

[3] The Commission has also committed resources to the upcoming Australian Workplace Relations Study 3 to be undertaken in 2013-14 which will fill an important data gap at the enterprise/workplace level on matters that the Commission must take into account when conducting an annual wage review such as productivity; business competitiveness and viability; and employment growth.4 It is anticipated that this research will be published in time to inform the Annual Wage Review 2014-15. The commitment of resources to these projects means that there is limited capacity for the Commission to undertake additional research for the upcoming review. However, we invite submissions to the research program proposed taking into account the stated constraints, and also invite comment on the statistical report. As with the previous Annual Wage Review, a draft statistical report will be provided for comment with the draft research program.

[5] Submissions to the Commission regarding the research program should be made by close of business on 22 August 2013 and can be filed electronically at [email protected] or by facsimile to (03) 9655 0401.

PRESIDENT

1 [2013] FWCFB 4000, at para. 601.

2 [2012] FWAFB 9095 (see Attachment A to [2012] FWAFB 8286).

3 For more information about the Australian Workplace Relations Study, see the Fair Work Commission website:

4 Fair Work Act 2009, s 284.

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