Unions take offer to Premier’s foyer

PUBLIC sector union bosses say they would now be willing to accept a pay rise of 2.5 per cent, but say the Premier and Treasurer will not sit down to discuss their reduced figure.

Secretaries of six unions yesterday sat in the foyer of the Executive Building and unsuccessfully demanded to meet with Premier Will Hodgman to discuss the adjustment of their previous request for a 3 per cent wage increase. The State Government’s wage deal negotiators offered to meet with the unions instead but were turned down. Treasurer Peter Gutwein dismissed the sit-in as a “silly stunt, a childish stunt”.

“People should see this for what it is,” Mr Gutwein said.

“At the end of the day, they obviously have nothing to do except sit around and play silly games.

“Our negotiation team is ready to meet with them to discuss any issues they might have or any offer they might put. They chose not to.”

But Community and Public Sector Union state secretary Tom Lynch said the Government’s representatives did not have the power to actually negotiate. He said the unions, representing health workers, teachers, firefighters and other public service staff, had put their new offer to the Government on May 6.

The Government has instead offered 2.1 per cent, meaning unions would again escalate their industrial action, Mr Lynch said.

“We’ll also look at how to take this dispute out of hands of government and hand it to the independent umpire,” he said. “Today was an opportunity for the Premier to show leadership and for us to resolve a dispute that’s gone on for 12 months.”

The Government has said public sector workers will not receive back pay if the wage dispute is not resolved by the end of the financial year.