"Finding the balance for working Australians and their families"
The ACTU Executive met in Melbourne in early March 2008 to adopt a new campaign plan to improve the wages, working conditions and superannuation of working families. The Executive carried a resolution "Finding the balance for working Australians and their families" that included the following statement on superannuation policy:
4.1 Saving for the future
Unions will seek support for a campaign to ensure all employees have adequate savings in retirement. With profits relative to wages at a thirty year high and the economy requiring increased savings to mitigate against inflationary pressures now is the time to rebalance that disparity and invest in increased superannuation through collective bargaining.
ACTU policy is to achieve a goal of 15% minimum contributions to superannuation. The ACTU Executive confirms its resolve to achieve this goal by 2015 through a combination of bargaining, legislation, or changes to the taxation of superannuation.
As a first step, unions will seek support from their members to bargain and campaign to increase the minimum employer superannuation contribution for employees currently receiving 9 per cent to 12 per cent by 2012.
The ACTU will also work with the Rudd government to develop equity measures including enhanced co-contributions and targeted tax relief to ensure that the low paid, those with broken employment patterns, and those without bargaining power achieve superannuation adequacy.
The full text of the ACTU resolution is set out in a media release issued on 6 March 2008.
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