❓ Question regarding the government's ability to secure support from the CPSU-CSA for its new enterprise agreement, given its commitment to reducing debt through responsible financial management. The Minister highlights the benefits of the agreement and contrasts it with the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 700Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR —
INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENT
700. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to reducing the $40 billion of debt it
inherited through responsible financial management measures such as the fair
and reasonable wages policy. Can the minister outline to the house how the
government was able to reach overwhelming support from members of the Community
and Public Sector Union–Civil
Service Association of WA for its new fair and reasonable two-year enterprise
agreement?
INDUSTRIAL AGREEMENT
700. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to reducing the $40 billion of debt it
inherited through responsible financial management measures such as the fair
and reasonable wages policy. Can the minister outline to the house how the
government was able to reach overwhelming support from members of the Community
and Public Sector Union–Civil
Service Association of WA for its new fair and reasonable two-year enterprise
agreement?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very pleased to be able to
answer that question. The government maintains its commitment to the wages
policy, unlike the Liberal opposition, which yesterday let us know that it no
longer supports the government's wages policy. I make this clear: this
wages policy is a key part of correcting the ''shipload'' of mess
that was left to us by the former Liberal government. We inherited $40 billion
of debt and one of the contributions that we have asked for is to have the wages policy so that we can ensure that we can
keep control of our salary costs, because salary costs are the
overwhelming majority of the expenses of the government sector. We are very
pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement with the Community and
Public Sector Union–Civil Service Association of WA and that agreement
has been overwhelmingly endorsed by its membership.
This
two-year agreement continues the $1 000 per annum salary increase. There is a range
of other benefits that we have been able to negotiate with the union to
ensure that there are improved conditions for its members. One of those, for
example, is an increase in the casual loading; we have increased it from 20 per
cent to 25 per cent over the two-year life of the agreement to bring it up to
the industry average in Western Australia. That does two things. Firstly, it helps people who are in often low-paid
and naturally insecure jobs as casuals. The other thing it does is it removes the incentive to employ casuals. It makes
sure, as is done in the private sector where the 25 per cent loading is
more common, employers consider permanency before they put people on in this
casual and precarious way.
The other thing we have done, of course, is to agree with the
CSA to continue to look at the common-use agreement for labour hire. I am very pleased
to let the chamber know that we have had a significant reduction in costs in
the public sector because we have reduced the use of these common-use
agreements for labour hire. That is good for all Western Australians. It is
good for Western Australian taxpayers because we are able to reduce the costs
in the public sector. It is good for the workers because we have been able to
put those people on permanent jobs in the public
service. I give the example of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and
Safety, where we have been able to convert contractors at the core
library to permanent full-time employment. It is good for the department
because we have loyal long-serving employees. It is good for the employees
because they have long-term stable employment. It is good for the taxpayers
because it is done at a lower cost. Members can see that by working together
with the unions to identify where we can save money, we are able to give better
results to the workforce and maintain a solid $1 000 salary offer for the
workforce—38 000 people are covered by this agreement. It shows that we
can do what the opposition could not.
answer that question. The government maintains its commitment to the wages
policy, unlike the Liberal opposition, which yesterday let us know that it no
longer supports the government's wages policy. I make this clear: this
wages policy is a key part of correcting the ''shipload'' of mess
that was left to us by the former Liberal government. We inherited $40 billion
of debt and one of the contributions that we have asked for is to have the wages policy so that we can ensure that we can
keep control of our salary costs, because salary costs are the
overwhelming majority of the expenses of the government sector. We are very
pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement with the Community and
Public Sector Union–Civil Service Association of WA and that agreement
has been overwhelmingly endorsed by its membership.
This
two-year agreement continues the $1 000 per annum salary increase. There is a range
of other benefits that we have been able to negotiate with the union to
ensure that there are improved conditions for its members. One of those, for
example, is an increase in the casual loading; we have increased it from 20 per
cent to 25 per cent over the two-year life of the agreement to bring it up to
the industry average in Western Australia. That does two things. Firstly, it helps people who are in often low-paid
and naturally insecure jobs as casuals. The other thing it does is it removes the incentive to employ casuals. It makes
sure, as is done in the private sector where the 25 per cent loading is
more common, employers consider permanency before they put people on in this
casual and precarious way.
The other thing we have done, of course, is to agree with the
CSA to continue to look at the common-use agreement for labour hire. I am very pleased
to let the chamber know that we have had a significant reduction in costs in
the public sector because we have reduced the use of these common-use
agreements for labour hire. That is good for all Western Australians. It is
good for Western Australian taxpayers because we are able to reduce the costs
in the public sector. It is good for the workers because we have been able to
put those people on permanent jobs in the public
service. I give the example of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and
Safety, where we have been able to convert contractors at the core
library to permanent full-time employment. It is good for the department
because we have loyal long-serving employees. It is good for the employees
because they have long-term stable employment. It is good for the taxpayers
because it is done at a lower cost. Members can see that by working together
with the unions to identify where we can save money, we are able to give better
results to the workforce and maintain a solid $1 000 salary offer for the
workforce—38 000 people are covered by this agreement. It shows that we
can do what the opposition could not.
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