Public service pay fight ‘more about politics than getting an outcome’, says Treasurer Peter Gutwein
Tasmania’s Premier and Treasurer have mounted a defence of their industrial relations policy as the nurses dispute escalates.
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PREMIER Will Hodgman has mounted a defence of his government’s industrial relations policy as the nurses dispute escalates.
In State Parliament this morning, Labor leader Rebecca White claimed nurses were about to be stood down for taking industrial action over a pay dispute.
Ms White said the Government was mishandling negotiations, but the Premier rejected her claim that the dispute was getting worse.
“What is worse about a revised wages offer, which would increase the wages of the public service, we have proposed?” he said.
“It is an improved offer that we would urge union leaders to come back to the table and talk about — we would welcome a counter offer.”
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He said the public was entitled to access essential services, whether health or public transport.
Mr Hodgman said standing down staff was not unprecedented, nothing that then Prisons Minister Nick McKim considered it during a previous administration.
“It wasn’t that long ago that a former Labor Green minister … was talking about standing down staff at Risdon Prison.”
Treasurer Peter Gutwein defended the Government’s revised pay offer.
“By any measure this is fair and it’s reasonable and it’s affordable,” he said.
“But what is becoming patently obvious is that this is more about politics than getting an outcome.
“It appears that the public sector unions don’t want a result, they want industrial action to continue.
“We don’t want to play their political games and we won’t.”
Mr Gutwein accused unions of bargaining in bad faith for increasing their demands.
“Once again I call on the unions to pause and industrial action.”
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