Union boss warns Minns against Albo ’great disappointment’

The leader of one of NSW’s largest unions has warned Chris Minns not to follow the “great disappointment” of the Albanese government and fail to deliver on pre-election promises.

Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little. Picture: NewsWire/Monique Harmer

The leader of one of NSW’s largest unions has warned Premier Chris Minns not to replicate the “great disappointment” of the ­Albanese federal government, which he accused of failing to deliver on pre-election promises to fuel public sector wages.

Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little said the Minns government only needed to look to Canberra for an example of how promises on wages growth could fall short once in power, saying he was “bewildered” by federal Labor’s failure to deliver.

“One of the great disappointments for me is what I’ve seen in the federal system,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone has seen wages get going despite the promises before the election.”

Representing tens of thousands of members, the PSA is one of a number of unions, including the Health Services Union and Nurses and Midwives Association, with enterprise agreements set to expire on July 1.

Award-growth data in May revealed public sector wages declined by 10 basis points in the December 2022 quarter, falling to 2.3 per cent. The consumer price index hit a dizzying 7.8 per cent last year, while the cash rate has jumped from a record low of 0.1 per cent to 3.85 per cent.

Workers on the minimum wage received a 5.2 per cent lift from the Fair Work Commission in June last year, after Anthony Albanese advocated for wages to keep pace with inflation.

Mr Little said he would like to see a clear framework for how the NSW government would deliver on its vows to increase wages. He said initial negotiations had been positive but there was nothing concrete to take to members.

“We need a really clear process, and the really critical thing is that the vast bulk of the public sector will be waiting for a pay increase from July 1,” he said. “They (the government) need to be minded that there’s been 11 interest rate rises and the cost of everything is causing serious pain.”

Neither Mr Minns nor Treasurer Daniel Mookhey have committed to a figure for public sector pay rises, with ministers negotiating with their respective unions on a case-by-case basis.

An industrial relations framework to replace the dismantled public sector wages cap is understood to be in the works, but the legislation is not expected to be introduced to parliament during the first sitting week beginning on May 9.

After successive years of high inflation, the pace of negotiations has frustrated some union leaders, including HSU secretary Gerard Hayes. A member of Labor’s powerful administrative committee, Mr Hayes accused the government of “dragging its feet” on pay bargaining, saying the delays were unacceptable in light of rocketing interest rates and real wages in reverse.

Health workers on the NSW north coast walked off on the job on Tuesday as part of the first industrial action against the Minns government, with Mr Hayes warning it would be the first of a series of strikes if union demands were not met.