WA power unions ‘betrayed over threat to jobs’

Tensions are emerging from the Labor-affiliated unions that helped the McGowan government win office in March.

Unions want West Australian Energy Minister Ben Wyatt to meet them face-to-face. Picture: AAP

Tensions are emerging from the Labor-affiliated unions that helped the McGowan government win office in Western Aust­ralia in March, as senior ministers roll out reforms and austerity measures.

The powerful WA branch of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union has turned on Energy Minister Ben Wyatt because­ he hopes to adopt the former Liberal government’s timetable to end state-owned power provider Synergy’s monopoly over the residential electricity market.

Power station workers from the AMWU and the Electrical Trades Union are demanding Mr Wyatt meet them in the southwest coalmining town of Collie to explain how their jobs will be ­affected.

AMWU state secretary Steve McCartney began his attacks on Mr Wyatt in a Facebook post last Wednesday, reminding his followers of Mr Wyatt’s failed 2011 attempt to unseat then WA Labor leader Eric Ripper.

Mr McCartney told The Australian yesterday that Mr Wyatt, who is also state Treasurer, had betrayed the unionists who gave their time to doorknock for Labor.

“The workers are confused and angry because they believe they went out and campaigned to make sure they saved their jobs,” he said. “They have effectively helped elect a government with the exact same policy that jeopardises their jobs.”

The falling-out between Mr Wyatt and the AMWU comes after union protests over the WA Labor government’s plan to save $500 million over four years by limiting annual pay rises for 40,000 public servants to $1000.

The change means that teachers, police and other public servants earning more than $70,000 a year will be worse off compared with Labor’s previous policy of a 1.5 per cent yearly rise.

Corrective Services Minister Fran Logan dis­appoint­ed unionised guards at the state’s juvenile detention centre last week when he told them there was no money to reopen a second children’s jail.

Guards believed this would relieve­ pressure at the strife-torn centre, though some concerns are being addressed with a “jail within a jail” for the most unmanageable juveniles. Those inmates, some of whom have attacked staff and are considered a menace to other inmate­s, will be schooled inside their cordoned-off area in the grounds of the centre.

Premier Mark McGowan’s plan to slash state government departments­ from 41 to 25 is part of his plan to reduce state debt, which is forecast to pass $40 billion within four years.

The government has been forced to look for deep cuts in the public service after sweeping to office on a promise not to sell half of Western Power.

The WA Liberals went to the polls offering the partial sale of the state’s poles and wires as a means to bring down debt. But there is speculation Labor may announce the sale of smaller assets in the September budget, including the Utah Point bulk loading facility and the TAB betting agency.

Mr McGowan acknowledged that some the measures would be unpopular with union­s. “We have to deal with the hand of cards we were given,” he said yesterday.

“The hand of cards is the worst financial management and the worst unemployment in the history of the state, and probably the country, so that means we have to make some tough decisions and at times people won’t like it.

“But you’re not doing your job if you don’t do that.”