Unions plan further industrial action over State Government wages policy

Nurses, mental health workers and teachers will take more industrial action as public sector unions continue to pressure the Government over wages.

NURSES, mental health workers and teachers are due to take industrial action in the coming days and weeks as public sector unions continue to pressure the Government over wages.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation will lead a nurses march in Launceston on Saturday over wage negotiations and ongoing problems in the health system.

On Monday, community mental health service staff are due to walk off the job in Devonport.

The Health and Community Services Union says the rare action by frontline mental health staff has been prompted by the Government’s “hardline” public sector wages policy.

The planned actions come as the Australian Education Union and the State Government continue a slanging match over teachers’ wage claims.

Teachers are planning to turn up late to school after stop-work meetings in the state’s North and North-West on Tuesday, November 27, and on Wednesday, November 28, in the South over the wage stalemate.

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Around 300 union members march from RHH to parliament lawns today to support Tasmania’s public sector workers in calling on Premier Will Hodgeman to scrap the 2% wage cap. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff is due to make a decision next week about potential school closures in light of the action.

The Government has offered 2 per cent annual wage increases over the next three years. Teachers are seeking 3 per cent increases per year.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

On Thursday, Mr Rockliff said 95 additional specialist teachers would be employed to ease teachers’ workloads.

The combined wage and staffing offer described as “very, very good” by the Education Minister was on Friday described as “poor” by AEU state manager Roz Madsen.

“We took the offer to our executive members, who are all full-time educators from the membership, who made the decision not to take the offer, because it was so poor, out to the broader membership,” Ms Madsen said.

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Mr Rockliff said the rejected offer was a case of the AEU making decisions without consulting members.

“What the union bosses need to do is stop blocking the views of teachers and consult with teachers on the very, very good offer that’s on the table to reduce workload,” he said.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein said the Government had no intention of altering the state wages policy which caps increases at 2 per cent a year.