Hodgman hints at review of hard-line pay policy

PREMIER Will Hodgman has left the door ajar to soften his government’s hard-line 2 per cent public sector wages policy.

The Government and public service unions resumed enterprise bargaining negotiations last night, but came to no agreement.

Community and Public Sector Union secretary Tom Lynch described the meeting as “frustrating” but said the Premier had shown “good leadership” in his willingness to address the issue.

The Government failed to soften its wages policy but told union leaders that any shift from its policy would require a decision of Cabinet.

Mr Lynch said he expected a Cabinet decision to come when it meets on Tuesday.

“If they are willing to support an increase, there’s still a lot of discussion to go from the current position to a wage we think is reasonable in the current economy, and that’s an increase closer to 3 per cent,” Mr Lynch said.

Mr Hodgman’s language on the policy has changed. “I’m not ruling anything in or anything out at this point in time,” he said.

“That’s the beauty and the purpose of negotiations: to consider other perspectives.

“I mean, our position has been very clear for a long time and we stand by it, but that does not mean that we won’t continue to work with unions as to the matters that are important to them.”

Mr Hodgman said he was hopeful of getting an outcome satisfactory to the Government, unions and the public sector workforce.

“I hope to strike the right balance and get the right outcome,” Mr Hodgman said.

“I’ve been very keen to ensure that these negotiations can continue in a way that secures our outcomes, have a good budget, an affordable public sector wages policy, good conditions for our nurses and our teachers. Thankfully we’ve been able to see a cessation of industrial action so parents whose kids are at school or people who need to get to hospital aren’t having their services impacted.”