澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-06-04

 Unions have criticised Fair Work Australia's decision to increase the minimum wage by 3.4 per cent. The nation's lowest-paid workers have been given a boost of $19.40 a week. The Australian Council of Trade Unions says the increase isn't enough to keep up with the rising cost of living, but industry groups believe the rise will cripple small businesses.

 

There are more signs of a tightening¹ economy with two major Australian companies announcing job cuts. Qantas has offered 350 voluntary redundancies to its 7,000 cabin crew, and insurance firm AAMI has announced it will close all of its branches in the next two months.

 

International officials say Greece will receive another installment² of its $150 billion bailout deal. European authorities and the IMF say the next tranche of their package will be paid most likely in July. The announcement comes after hundreds of protesters in Athens besieged³ the finance ministry⁴ building to rally against the government's austerity measures.

 

And taking a look at the markets, the local share market has closed lower ahead of key US employment data. The All Ords and the ASX 200 gave up 0.4 per cent by the close. Now markets across the region are generally lower. Japan's Nikkei is down 63 points.

1 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

2 installment   

n.(instalment)分期付款；(连载的)一期

参考例句：

• I shall soon pay the last installment of my debt.不久我将偿付我的最后一期债款。
• He likes to buy things on the installment plan.他喜欢用分期付款法购买货物。

3 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。