Water & Ports

Costa's Wage Restraint a Joke!

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Published on Wednesday, 21 May, 2008

The State Government's 2.5% wage restriction policy for all public sector employees is not enough to keep pace with CPI and rising inflation. It is a virtual pay cut across the public sector and does not enable fair and decent wages and conditions that workers are entitled to.

With the US economy on the way to a recession and interest rates in Australia on the way up again, the restraint comes as a cut in real terms. The Reserve Bank has forecast inflation reaching three and a half per cent in the near future and Unions believe that the starting point for wage negotiations be just that - three and a half per cent for all NSW public servants.

Budget figures have revealed that the government has collected close to $1 billion in taxes over and above its forecast. Crude oil has reached a record high prive of US $100 per barrel and major Australian banks continue to push upmortgage interest rates.

Prices are on the way up and the NSW government is in the process of pushing wages down for every public servant other than politicians. Recent reports in the media have shown that prices in Australia's most expensive city are still ncreasing. Petrol is likely to hit $1.50 per litre and the number of road trips requiring a toll has increased 17 fold since 1996.

Australian workers know better and will not be fooled by sensational political rhetoric. Unions have put up a fight. NSW Maritime, teachers, firefighters and nurses to name a few have either threatened or taken industrial action in pursuit of wage justice over the last four months. They are crying foul over the state government's plan to cap the public-sector wage increases at 2.5% while offering executives pay rises of up to 30%.

In an encouraging sign to other industries affected by this policy, workers at NSW Maritime have fought and won a 3.5% wage increase, made retrospective to July 2007. After taking 11 hours of industrial action, members at NSW Maritime broke the 2.5% wage restriction set in defiance by the State Government. This is a political message from workers that they want fairness and decency and they are not afraid to get it.

NSW MARITIME BREAKS STATE GOVTS 2.5%!

After taking 11 hours of industrial action, ASU members at NSW Maritime have broken the government's 2.5% wages restriction. This is a message from workers that they are not afraid to fight for their conditions.