The Australian Council of Trade Unions says the country's lowest-paid workers face a wage freeze with a decision on income adjustments months away.
The A-C-T-U's president, Sharan Burrow, says the Industrial Relations Commission usually set an adjustment for minimum-wage earners this time of year.
But she says the new Fair Pay Commission is just beginning to call for submissions to its wage determination, with a decision not due until spring.
The Fair Pay Commission, part of the Federal Government's changes to the workplace structure, begins operating today.