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Articles on Wage inequality

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In July 2018, public servants went on strike to demand fair wages. from www.shutterstock.com

Overworked and underpaid: the revival of strikes in New Zealand

Last year, more than 70,000 workers walked off their jobs in New Zealand – the highest number of people on strike since the late 1980s. The reasons for the strike wave are political and economic.
As income inequality is growing in many countries, associated social problems are also getting worse. from www.shutterstock.com

How a default union membership could help reduce income inequality

Research suggests union membership by default could help reduce income inequality and its associated social ills.
Unions, which traditionally protected wages at the bottom end, are starting to tap into community anger at the wealth flowing to the top end of town. Mick Tsikas/AAP

The fair go is a fading dream, but don’t write it off

This is the first article in a series, Reclaiming the Fair Go, to mark the awarding of the 2018 Sydney Peace Prize to Nobel laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz.
Households feeling the pinch from frozen wages feeds into slower economic growth, and policymakers need to find a solution. Bacho/Shutterstock

This is what policymakers can and can’t do about low wage growth

Governments can’t undo the technological changes behind frozen wages and rising inequality. The best policy is to invest in education and training to give workers skills of value in the new economy.
Aggregate demand is being hit by the concentration of income growth among the top earners and is now a drag on economic growth. Shutterstock

How rising inequality is stalling economies by crippling demand

News that Australian CEO pay has soared to a 17-year high at a time when ordinary workers’ wages are flatlining is ultimately bad news for economic growth and prosperity.

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