"Key union pushes for universal income of $740 a week, guaranteed jobs", 26 March 2020

One of Australia's largest and most influential unions is calling for both a jobs guarantee to keep people in work and a universal income of $740 a week to be paid to most other people.

[...]

UWU national secretary Tim Kennedy...is pushing for a "jobs guarantee" that would mean no workers could be dismissed or retrenched during the pandemic crisis, with the government guaranteeing the wages of affected workers.

...[H]e wrote...it should apply to gig workers, casual employees and those in labour hire and the self-employed.

[...]

Mr Kennedy said there should also be an "income guarantee" paid at the full-time minimum wage of $740 a week to everyone else not covered by the jobs guarantee and those not financially affected by the pandemic. It would be paid until at least the end of 2020.

"The payment is unconditional, meaning the recipient is not required to work or demonstrate willingness to work, nor is the payment means-tested."

[...]

Mr Kennedy said the union also wanted the tax-free threshold lifted from $18,200 to $25,000 to help low income earners and a moratorium on rent and mortgage repayments.

[...]