The South Australian Employment Tribunal has been asked to grant a 5.2 per cent pay rise to workers covered by state-based awards.
SA Unions lodged the claim to lift the minimum wage by almost $41 a week to $827, and the increase would be in line with the recent rise in the national minimum wage.
The state industrial system acts as a safety net for public sector and local government workers not covered by specific enterprise agreements.
SA Unions secretary Dale Beasley said if the 5.2 per cent increase was good enough for the federal system, "it's good enough for SA".
"These are workers who have supported SA during the pandemic," he said on Tuesday.
"They have worked hard to keep things running for the benefit of our community.
"We need to make sure they're protected with a minimum wage safety net that maintains the value of their wages".
The wage increase is expected to get the support of the state Labor government, in line with the federal government's support for the national wage rise for low paid workers.
The employment tribunal is likely to call a directions conference next month to discuss the claim.
