Public sector wage freeze blocked in NSW Upper House
The state government’s bid to freeze public sector wages was blocked in the upper house with the nurses union not ruling out industrial action if they don’t get a scheduled 2.5 per cent pay rise.
NSW
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The state government’s bid to freeze public sector wages has been blocked in the upper house, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian now set to seek the pay freeze through the Industrial Relations Commission.
The nurses union, which protested the pay freeze outside parliament on Tuesday, hasn’t ruled out industrial action if they don’t get a scheduled 2.5 per cent pay rise
Health Minister Brad Hazzard was also confronted by an emotion union official over his policy and asked by Nurses and Midwives Association branch secretary if he would oppose the pay freeze.
“As a member of the cabinet, my views are the cabinet’s, so I can’t tell you,” Mr Hazzard said.
“But I value what you do. I value everything that nurses do, and all the rest of the health officials.”
Ms Romer labelled the government’s $1,000 payment peace offering “shallow” and a “kick in the guts”.
“Nurses and midwives won’t be bought by $1,000. We didn’t come down in the last shower, so good luck if he thinks that’s gonna buy us off,” she said.
Asked what nurses would do if their pay is frozen, Ms Romer said: “there are always options for industrial action”.
However, any action would be voted on by union members, and a general strike is considered unlikely.
The Treasurer told nurses gathered at parliament that while he intends the wage freeze will last 12 months, the government does not have a “crystal ball”.
“I expressed my thanks to the nurses I met, both for the work they have done during the pandemic and the work they perform every day,” Mr Perrottet told The Daily Telegraph in a statement.
“Faced with the prospect of providing pay cheques for the unemployed, or pay rises for those in a secure job we have decided creating jobs is our number one priority.”
Labor and the crossbench torpedoed wage freeze regulation in the Upper House. Christian Democrat leader Fred Nile was the only crossbencher to vote with the Coalition.
The government will now ask the Industrial Relations Commission to impose the public sector pay freeze.
More than 330,000 public servants would be eligible for the $1000 one-off payment in the government’s $3 billion savings measure.
Some paramedics are refusing to fill out billing details for ambulance patients, in a paperwork protest against the state governments wage freeze.
The Australian Paramedics Association is refusing to put patients address on forms after a call out, costing the state government up to $900 per trip.
NSW president Chris Kastelan told The Daily Telegraph the protest will only hurt the government’s coffers.
“It’s meant to deal with the revenue bottom line and in no way impact patient care and support,” he said.
“Patient and community care will not be compromised.”
Under the Premier’s peace offering, announced yesterday, almost all of the public service would get the $1000 bonus, with only senior executives excluded.
It can also be revealed part-time public servants would receive a pro-rata payment.
Freezing public sector wages would allow the government to guarantee jobs for all public servants (and) provide a bonus for all non-SES employees, Ms Berejiklian said.
“If the New South Wales parliament disallows the regulation we've put forward, we won't be in a position to be able to guarantee the jobs,” she said.
“We can go to the Industrial Relations Commission and get the wage freeze, but we can't get the jobs guarantee or the $1000 (bonus).”
The NSW Opposition remains staunchly opposed to the pay freeze, despite the promise of a $1000 sweetener for workers.
“Labor is appalled the Berejiklian government is now making threats about sacking workers if they do not get their way,” Labor’s upper house leader Adam Searle said last night.
There was little support from the cross benches either.
Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party leader Robert Borsak said it didn’t make sense for the government to threaten job losses during the pandemic.
“If the government were to cut jobs they’d actually be undermining the very strategy they’re trying to run.”
Originally published as Public sector wage freeze blocked in NSW Upper House