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Summer 2003

Public Sector Wage campaign - Government Offer - It's an INSULT

The State Government has finally made a wages and conditions offer to Public Sector members, and it has been universally described as “an insult” by members.

The offer, which would see increases of only 2.2% per annum, would effectively take members backwards in real terms, despite rising workloads and increasing productivity.

HACSU members are claiming a modest 6%, or $45 per year, and other claims focused on Decent Rights, Decent Work and Decent Pay.

The Government's offer of 7.5% over 3 years, also falls significantly short of our expectations in recognising issues relating to workload, rights and other conditions.

The Government has also moved in on our sick leave. Their proposal allows accrual of annual leave at 20 days per year but caps accruals leave accruals at 140 days, a significant change from our current uncapped accrual system across the DHHS.

The Government offer also comes after the State Treasurer acknowledged that the Tasmanian economy is in the best state for 40 years and that the growth is sustainable.

Public Sector members believe that economic improvement should be shared; after all, it was public sector members who have driven the improvement in growth.

Other parts of the Government offer includes:

• Rejection of proposals increasing superannuation payments for non RBF contributory scheme members.

• A refusal to ensure all employees have access to computer technology. They have agreed to link union websites to Agency intranets 'if this is technically possible' and they intend to undertake a review of email and Internet usage.

• Rejection of all moves to reduce reliance on fixed term employment. Despite the State Service Act making it clear that permanent employment is the normal form of employment the Government is unwilling to consider strong measured to address the problem.

Refusal to acknowledge workload problems, or that workloads have increased.

In terms of Professional Development, the Government have agreed in principle that employees should receive regular feedback on their performance but 'to the extent that the union claim goes any further than current arrangements' they reject them.

Union claims also sought to improve payments for a number of allowances. However, the Government offer in terms of standby and availability allowances was that the existing 80.7 cents per hour was reasonable compensation for being available and dealing with complex issues by telephone. The Government do not accept that accommodation and meal allowances are below reasonable costs and they are unwilling to change higher duties allowance provisions to make sure employees are paid the allowance when they act in higher duties without having to first serve a qualifying period.

The Government offer included:

• The ability to salary sacrifice compulsory employee contributions into RBF. The sum total of the benefit to an employee on $50 000 per year is approximately $8 per week.

• Phased in retirement (in principle.

• Formal Job Share and LWOP arrangements (in principle).

• Shared Maternity/ Paternity leave arrangements and an extension to adoption leave provisions.

• Increased bereavement leave for close family members.

• The development of a Charter of Delegates Rights (in principle).

• Long Service Leave to be taken in a minimum of 5-day blocks.

HACSU will deliver members message back to the Government at discussions scheduled over the coming weeks.

In addittion to the above matters, several professional groups, including health professionals, legal practitioners and correctional officers have notified the Government they have specific issues that need to be dealt with.

Unions, including HACSU, have made it clear they want these groups included in the agreement. But HACSU also wants to have a capacity to deal with issues specific to these groups during the life of the agreement.

Tim Jacobson said there was a wide variety of issues that needed to be covered and the unions would do their very best to ensure all issues were dealt with to the satisfaction of members.

"There are specific groups, such as a number of health professional groups, that require detailed strategies to be worked out to solve worsening crisis regarding the retention and recruitment of staff in Tasmania."

"We do not believe the entire public service enterprise agreement should be held up whilst we work through the complexities of these issues and the implications for industrial provisions for health professionals."

"We have written to the Premier asking that the Government agree to reserve provisions within the public sector EBA that would allow agreement to be reached for general employees and other specific agreements to be able to be negotiated and agreed separately with health professionals addressing their issues."

"We will be sending out regular bulletins to members and our website will be regularly updated with the latest information."

STOP PRESS

HACSU and Public Sector Unions recently conducted Statewide delegate meetings attended by approximately 450 delegates to discuss the Government's offer.

At these meetings delegates agreed to take the offer back to members and seek their views. Members would also be asked what actions they would consider to support the claim.

The Government cearly got the message that delegates were less than impressed with their offer. HACSU has met again with negotiators who appear to have taken a very different approach to these negotiaitons. Discussions have reopened with regard to a number of matters in the union claim rejected earlier by the Government.

HACSU will continue to keep members informed of the outcomes of these negotiations.