❓ The Minister for Industrial Relations provides an update on enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with public sector workers, highlighting progress and support for agreements reached with teachers, principals, and TAFE lecturers. He also addresses ongoing negotiations with other unions and urges the police union to settle their agreement.
AnsweredQoN 316Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC SECTOR —
ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS
316. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Industrial
Relations:
Can
the minister update the house on the work underway to finalise the enterprise
bargaining agreement negotiations with public sector workers and provide
certainty for them during this challenging time?
ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS
316. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Industrial
Relations:
Can
the minister update the house on the work underway to finalise the enterprise
bargaining agreement negotiations with public sector workers and provide
certainty for them during this challenging time?
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Speaker —
Mr V.A. Catania : Did you get
a home hair cut as well?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Yes, I did—but
it was a different home, obviously!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I am
pleased to update the house on the enormous progress that we are making with
public sector employees through our wage negotiations. I want to begin by
thanking public sector employees for the hard work
they are doing in ensuring the safety and health of Western Australians. People
should remember that it is public sector employees who are delivering
the fabulous outcomes that we have in this state in coping with COVID-19,
whether it is healthcare workers, bus drivers, police officers, public servants
or teachers across the state. They are the ones who are delivering on behalf of
the community in our confrontation with the scourge of COVID-19.
I am very pleased to say that on
Friday, following a ballot of members of the State School Teachers'
Union of WA and the Principals' Federation of Western Australia on an
agreement to cover 25 000 teachers and principals across Western Australia,
there was a very pleasing level of support. Over 85 per cent of members of the
SSTU and 82.5 per cent of the members of the PFWA supported that agreement, and
that will now be registered with the Industrial
Relations Commission. In more good news, we have also reached agreement with
the SSTU in relation to 2 500 TAFE
lecturers. When we add all those together with the previous agreements we have
with other public sector unions, over 70 000 public sector workers are
now covered by a second round of bargaining for the $1 000 wage increase, which
means that over 70 000 public servants have now agreed to a full four years of
our wages policy.
I
note that, in addition, we are well advanced in negotiation with the WA Prison
Officers' Union, the United Firefighters Union of WA and the
Health Services Union for new agreements for their members consistent with our
wages policy. We are hopeful that these negotiations can be concluded very
quickly.
It is interesting to note that of
course our wages policy for the second round of bargaining has had 62 per cent
support amongst members of the police union, and we are very keen to make it
clear to the police union that we would love it to settle the agreement and
fully implement the benefits under that agreement for its members. It has been
overwhelmingly supported by 62 per cent of the members of the police union. Of
course, we have already paid the first $1 000 wage rise to those hardworking
police officers, backdated to 1 July last year. On 1 July this year, we will
make another administrative payment to those police officers, regardless of the
outcome of the police union's approach to the bargaining. But I make it
clear that with 62 per cent support amongst the membership of the union, it is
now time for the union to settle that agreement and join the tens of thousands
of other public servants in this state who are enjoying the benefit of the Western
Australian government's wages policy.
Mr V.A. Catania : Did you get
a home hair cut as well?
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : Yes, I did—but
it was a different home, obviously!
Mr B.S. Wyatt interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : I am
pleased to update the house on the enormous progress that we are making with
public sector employees through our wage negotiations. I want to begin by
thanking public sector employees for the hard work
they are doing in ensuring the safety and health of Western Australians. People
should remember that it is public sector employees who are delivering
the fabulous outcomes that we have in this state in coping with COVID-19,
whether it is healthcare workers, bus drivers, police officers, public servants
or teachers across the state. They are the ones who are delivering on behalf of
the community in our confrontation with the scourge of COVID-19.
I am very pleased to say that on
Friday, following a ballot of members of the State School Teachers'
Union of WA and the Principals' Federation of Western Australia on an
agreement to cover 25 000 teachers and principals across Western Australia,
there was a very pleasing level of support. Over 85 per cent of members of the
SSTU and 82.5 per cent of the members of the PFWA supported that agreement, and
that will now be registered with the Industrial
Relations Commission. In more good news, we have also reached agreement with
the SSTU in relation to 2 500 TAFE
lecturers. When we add all those together with the previous agreements we have
with other public sector unions, over 70 000 public sector workers are
now covered by a second round of bargaining for the $1 000 wage increase, which
means that over 70 000 public servants have now agreed to a full four years of
our wages policy.
I
note that, in addition, we are well advanced in negotiation with the WA Prison
Officers' Union, the United Firefighters Union of WA and the
Health Services Union for new agreements for their members consistent with our
wages policy. We are hopeful that these negotiations can be concluded very
quickly.
It is interesting to note that of
course our wages policy for the second round of bargaining has had 62 per cent
support amongst members of the police union, and we are very keen to make it
clear to the police union that we would love it to settle the agreement and
fully implement the benefits under that agreement for its members. It has been
overwhelmingly supported by 62 per cent of the members of the police union. Of
course, we have already paid the first $1 000 wage rise to those hardworking
police officers, backdated to 1 July last year. On 1 July this year, we will
make another administrative payment to those police officers, regardless of the
outcome of the police union's approach to the bargaining. But I make it
clear that with 62 per cent support amongst the membership of the union, it is
now time for the union to settle that agreement and join the tens of thousands
of other public servants in this state who are enjoying the benefit of the Western
Australian government's wages policy.
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