Ai Group submits that a modest wage increase of 2% is warranted in this year’s Annual Wage Review. This equates to an increase of about $15.45 per week in the National Minimum Wage (bringing it to $788.05 per week) and about $18.00 per week at the base trade level. When the proposed 2% wage increase is considered alongside the 0.5% Superannuation Guarantee (SG) increase that is operative from 1 July 2022 and the equivalent of a 1.3% increase in pre-tax income that an employee on the National Minimum Wage will receive in coming months as a result of the announced increase in the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset, our proposal would result in the equivalent of a 3.8% increase in pre-tax remuneration for low paid employees.