Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 13 minutes ago
Tasmania's public sector unions say they've been left with no choice but to ramp up industrial action, as already protracted wage negotiations with the state government hit another roadblock. The unions claim the government has reneged on part of a recent pay and conditions offer. The government denies the accusation.

Category

📺
TV
Transcript
00:02Taking to the streets in the fight for higher wages.
00:07The Health and Community Services Union has restarted more than 120 work bans in hospitals in response to pay negotiation
00:15stalling.
00:16The bans include not billing Medicare for some procedures and cancelling outpatient appointments.
00:22Workers are not holding back now. Goodwill is gone. We are going to fight this and take the government on
00:28until they do the right thing and honour a deal that they put on the table.
00:31The union says the government offered a pay rise of 3% each year for two years, followed by 2
00:37.75% the year after, plus extra entitlements.
00:42But claims the government has now reneged on those extra entitlements.
00:46I've been involved in public sector bargaining for nearly 20 years. I've never seen a situation where the head of
00:52the state service has put an offer to us in writing only for it to be reneged.
00:57The state government denies this.
00:59The offer that is on the table is a very reasonable one. It matches that which the police have accepted.
01:06And might I add that I think our police have come to a sensible conclusion.
01:12The education union is also considering industrial action which could force schools to close next month.
01:19We are pushing for something that equals to 4% for our members. We are extremely disappointed.
01:24I really entered that meeting yesterday with hope and left just so disappointed.
01:28In a statement acting head of state service Shane Gregory rejected claims the government has reneged on commitments.
01:34He says the latest proposal included salary increases, new allowances and structural reforms.
01:40He says the government is also committed to reaching a new agreement by the end of March.
01:48Answering the Vice Society for International Education
01:48Citizen
Comments

Recommended