On 1 September, the Living Wage increased to $29.90 per hour.
If you're an FSC-certified forest manager or contractor engaged by an FSC-certified forest manager, that's not just a wage increase. It's an FSC compliance issue.
Many people assume Living Wage compliance is the contractor's responsibility.
It's not.
FSC requires workers to be paid the Living Wage (or a recognised industry wage agreement), requires Living Wage costs to be built into contract pricing, and requires organisations to verify compliance. Those obligations apply to both forest managers and contractors.
That's why the agreement negotiated between the Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) and Workers First Union is so important. It provides the forestry industry's recognised solution to FSC Living Wage requirements while preserving pathways for trainees and new entrants.
Most importantly, you cannot contract your way out of FSC obligations.
Forest managers can't expect contractors to absorb Living Wage increases.
Contractors can't push the cost onto subcontractors.
Subcontracting doesn't remove FSC responsibilities.
If FSC requires a Living Wage, the cost must flow through the entire supply chain:
Forest Owner → Contractor → Subcontractor → Worker
The recent increase is a timely reminder to ask:
Have Living Wage increases been applied from 1 September?
Do our contract rates support FSC compliance?
Could we prove compliance if an FSC auditor asked tomorrow?
If the answer to any of those questions is "no" or "not sure", now is the time to act.
The FICA/Workers First Union agreement gives contractors and forest managers a practical, industry-backed roadmap for compliance. Ignoring it is a risk. Using it provides certainty for businesses, workers and FSC certification.
"The biggest misconception in the industry is that Living Wage compliance is solely a contractor issue. FSC requires Living Wage costs to be recognised in contract pricing and supported throughout the contracting chain. The agreement reached between FICA and Workers First gives the industry a practical pathway to achieve compliance while continuing to train the next generation of forestry workers." - Rowan
