Threat of strike after 2% offer

THE state’s public sector union has flagged industrial action after the Government offered a pay rise of just 2 per cent a year.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein yesterday announced the offer to unions to cover all public servants — except police — for the next three years. He said the offer was fair and affordable.

But Community and Public Sector Union general secretary Tom Lynch said the offer was less than the cost of inflation.

“Our members will be angry,’’ he said, labelling the Government “arrogant and out of touch” — and warning that if the offer was not improved it was likely to face a campaign of industrial action.

THE state’s 29,000 public sector workers will be angered by the Government’s offer of a 2 per cent annual pay rise and could take industrial action in support of a better deal, the community sector union says.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein yesterday announced the Government had delivered an offer to unions for an agreement covering all public servants — except police — for the next three years.

Mr Gutwein said the offer was fair and affordable, reflected the Government’s longstanding policy and was its final position.

“If the wages cap increases by just 1 per cent to a 3 per cent pay rise, it would cost an additional $28 million, including superannuation, each and every year,” he said.

“That’s money that would reduce the investment in health, education and other frontline services for Tasmanians.

“The Liberal Government’s priority in negotiating indus- trial agreements is to ensure better services and value to the community, which is affordable and part of the Government’s commitment to strong financial management.”

Community and Public Sector Union general secretary Tom Lynch said the offer was less than the cost of inflation.

“Our members will be angry,’’ he said.

“We’ve already been out and spoken to them. They made a very reasonable wage claim for an annual increase of 3 per cent and that’s just been rejected out of hand by a government that is arrogant and out of touch.

“People’s real wages are going backwards. We have said and we maintain the position that if you want to improve Tasmanian workers’ position, you need to improve on the wage cap.

“We’re talking about a government that has handed down a budget that forecasts surpluses of $620 million over the next four years but they’re saying they can’t afford to pay increases that even keep up with the CPI.”

He said why have a booming economy if it didn’t deliver “decent wages … a decent health system, a decent education system”.

He said if the Government’s offer was not improved it was likely to face a campaign of targeted industrial action.