The Australian Council of Trade Unions has used a bushfire roundtable in Canberra to call for an immediate lift in the disaster recovery allowance.
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Union president Michele O'Neil says the allowance equates to $40 a day, similar to Newstart welfare payments.
This needed to be urgently lifted to meet the national minimum wage, bringing it to $105 a day, Ms O'Neil told AAP on Friday.
She said people in bushfire-affected communities couldn't afford to stay in the regions.
A lift in the allowance would also help pump money back into local businesses.
Ms O'Neil also asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison to hold another roundtable with union heads.
The government has been sitting with different stakeholders throughout the week as it fleshes out its response to the bushfire crisis.
Friday's meet at parliament house saw representatives from National Farmers' Federation, Red Cross, Tourism and Transport Forum Australia.
The government is working on broader plans to help small business and tourism, as part of its $2 billion recovery package.
Australian Associated Press
