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Federal Figures
The average wage increase under Federal EBAs was 2.5%, up from 2.2% in the September 2017 quarter. The construction union pattern EBAs averaged 4.7% which appeared to inflate recent figures. In WA the average EBA wage rise was 1.8% down from 2.1%.
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Senate Passes Levy
This week the Senate passed a 2017 Federal Budget measure to replace the 2% training levy connected with hiring 457 visa workers and replaced it with a flat levy structure to be paid to the federal Skilling Australians Fund. The levy scheme starts at $1,200 annually for a small business (<$10m) or $1,800 annually for other businesses (>$10m). Permanent visa workers under a 186 or 187 visa will have to pay a one-off levy of either $3,000 or $5,000.
