SA Treasurer in new union brawl over hospital security pay plea

Treasurer Rob Lucas has taken another union brawl to the SA Employment Tribunal, fighting a proposal that would grant security staff in the state’s public hospitals from getting a 17 per cent pay rise.

Treasurer Rob Lucas has taken another union brawl to the SA Employment Tribunal, fighting a proposal that would grant security staff in the state’s public hospitals from getting a 17 per cent pay rise.

Mr Lucas says union United Voice are using a "secret deal" struck with the former government to argue MSS Security employees should be classified as SA public sector employees, instead of being paid under the federal award.

The pay rise would cost the Budget $23 million over five years, says Mr Lucas.

SA Treasurer Rob Lucas. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke

But United Voice and the Opposition say it’s “ridiculous” and “sensationalist spin” to label the deal - which came into effect in January in 2018 – a secret because it’s publicly listed on the SA Employment Tribunal website.

United Voice acting state secretary David Gray said the deal was designed to fix an anomaly, which means hospital security staff earn “considerably less” than people performing a similar role in the public sector.

“All other ancillary people have wage parity and these security staff haven’t,” he said.

Mr Lucas said the extra cost was “utterly untenable” when the state’s health system was “already haemorrhaging hundreds of millions of dollars”.

“This is absolutely crazy stuff which would only make sense to the Labor Party and union bosses,” he said.

“It is yet another example of the financial mismanagement and incompetence of the former Labor government.

Mr Gray said $23 million was a “small drop in the bucket” to give workers wage parity.

“Trying to make savings by not honouring agreements and targeting low paid and vulnerable workers is just typical of Rob Lucas,” he said.

Opposition industrial relations spokesman Kyam Maher said hospital security officers were “some of the hardest working, lowest paid workers in SA.”

A directions hearing into the dispute will be held in the SA Employment Tribunal on January 23.