MP pay hike enrages

ON TABLE: 40 state politicians: 2.4% … 29,000 public servants: 2%

UNIONS have condemned a decision by the Tasmanian Industrial Commission to award a higher wage rise to Tasmania’s 40 state politicians than to the state’s 29,000 public servants.

Under an interim decision politicians are in line for a 2.4 per cent rise at the same time as the State Government has offered public servants a 2 per cent rise. Community and Public Sector Union general secretary Tom Lynch said the politicians’ pay rise would be backdated to July 1.

Politicians had received 2.4 per cent in 2017 and 10.5 per cent in 2016, he said.

“Since 2011, politicians have received a 23 per cent pay increase compared with 14 per cent for the public sector,” he said.

“It is unreasonable and un- fair and I don’t know how they can say it is a reasonable position. I would be embarrassed to run such an argument.”

The Tasmanian consumer price index was running at 2.4 per cent compared with the public sector offer of 2 per cent, he said.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein said it had been agreed that politicians’ pay rises be set at arm’s length with the wage price index as the benchmark.

The 2 per cent offer to the public sector was fair, reasonable and affordable, he said.

The CPI rise for the June quarter will be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

Mr Gutwein said many public servants had received up to 4 per cent because of salary step-ups for years of service.

Mr Gutwein said the offer to Tasmanian public servants was in step with the rest of the country, including the Australian public sector, South Australia and Western Australia.

Mr Lynch said politicians’ allowances would increase by 2.4 per cent compared with the all-Australian weighted average of capital cities which was at 2.1 per cent.

Tasmanian politicians’ pay rises were formerly linked to federal politicians’ pay but

were decoupled in 2011.