NSW public sector workers strike over pay and ‘thank you’ exclusion
More than 30,000 public servants are on strike for 24 hours, thousands of whom rallied outside NSW Parliament to tell the Premier they’re “coming for” him amid anger over pay and conditions.
NSW
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Thousands of union members have cheered at vows to vote out Premier Dominic Perrottet at the next state election, in a politically-charged call to action on Wednesday.
Several thousand members of the Public Services Association, furious over pay conditions and being left out of a one-off $3000 “thank you” payment from the government, marched on state parliament as part of a 24-hour strike.
As the year of the strike moves into the winter of discontent, PSA general secretary Stewart Little refused to rule out further action, while telling thousands of cheering members the union was “coming for” the Premier.
“We sought change at the federal election … let me tell you Mr Perrottet, we have a very clear message … we are coming for you,” Mr Little told the rally outside NSW parliament.
“Because (if) you don’t stand up for public sector workers you should stand aside.”
Mr Little earlier told reporters he wouldn’t rule out further strikes after the budget.
“What we need to see from the government is action on wages … we will stand up for our members all the way from here right through to the election,” he said.
The unrest comes after the Perrottet government earlier this week confirmed it would raise the public sector pay cap to 3 per cent in the coming financial year, with the union arguing the rise would be a pay cut against a backdrop of soaring inflation.
The NSW Government also announced it would pay $3000 to frontline healthcare workers, with PSA members such as prison officers as well as police set to miss out on the “thank you” bonus.
The PSA is one of NSW’s largest unions with 38,000 members, of which an estimated 30,000 expected to take action across the state as part of Wednesday’s 24-hour strike.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Wednesday the strikes were “largely … political”.
“I believe largely it’s political and I can’t help that,” he said.
“But what I’m doing as Premier is making the responsible decisions weighing up the competing interests in the budget … They might not be politically popular. They might not be supported by the union bosses and the Labor Party.”
NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns said there was no political collusion between the unions and Labor.
“What is more believable, that there‘s some sort of conspiracy with the unions or that workers across NSW simply can’t afford the rising cost of living anymore?” he said.
It comes as the Police Association of NSW announced it would accept a three per cent pay rise, following a meeting with Police Minister and Deputy Premier Paul Toole on Tuesday.
“Police, like other emergency and essential workers, put their lives and their families’ lives on the line throughout the Covid pandemic,” Police Association of NSW President Kevin Morton said.
“It is pleasing our Minister has acknowledged the changing nature of our award from when it was signed in lock down and the current situation.”
Earlier, NSW Shadow Minister Police Walt Secord said police deserved a “fair go”.
“In the course of their duties, they were spat upon, abused and attacked by unhinged anti-vaxxer protesters. When they were asked to enforce the ever-changing public health orders, they did so without complaint,” he said.
“Come on Premier, show some decency and give our state’s hardworking cops `a fair go’.”
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