Goyder backs workers' wage growth
The head of Australia's biggest private employer says improved productivity does not have to come at the expense of workers' wages.
Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder, one of the country's highest-paid company bosses, also suggested yesterday he had little right to advocate wage cuts for low-paid workers.
Mr Goyder had finished an address to the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry when a questioner canvassed his views after expressing concern about Australia's productivity and comparably high wages.
However, the businessman who earned $5.45 million in salary and cash bonuses last financial year, responded that Australia should aim to be "a high productivity, high wage country".
"We can be both if we're smart, use great technology and use our people well," he said.
"Frankly, it's pretty hard for me with what I'm paid to stand up here and advocate that people who are earning $20 or less an hour should be paid less.
"I think we should be trying to encourage economic growth that enables everyone to generate more wealth."
Mr Goyder used his address to promote the G20's reform agenda ahead of this weekend's meeting of world finance leaders and central bank governors in Cairns.
He heads the organisation's B20 Australian advisory group, which has made 20 wide-ranging policy recommendations to the G20 to drive better-than-fore- cast global economic growth.
"This is not business putting our hand out to governments saying, 'we want you to do all these things'," Mr Goyder said.
"This is business saying to government, 'put in place these policies and then we will get on with what we do best, which is investing capital, taking risk, employing people and innovating so we can generate that economic activity'."
Mr Goyder also used the opportunity to urge fiscal responsibility from the Federal Government and increased investment by the States in infrastructure and education.
As for local government: "I wish the first answer of local government was yes, not no."
