❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding the docking of wages for school support workers who took industrial action. The Premier responds by acknowledging the issue and promising to investigate and rectify any unfair treatment.
AnsweredQoN 875Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOL SUPPORT WORKERS — WAGE CLAIM CAMPAIGN — PAY DOCKED
I refer to the Premier’s comments made in the house yesterday that the salaries of education assistants, cleaners and gardeners may be docked, but they will not be stopped. (1) Is the Premier aware that eight cleaners at Gilmore College in Kwinana have been docked an entire week’s pay after they implemented work bans, which resulted in them not cleaning the administration block but continuing to perform all other duties, including toilets, classrooms, dealing with deliveries and securing the school? (2) Will the Premier immediately intervene to reverse this decision that has resulted in these low-paid workers losing their meagre $640 in pay? (3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT
I refer to the Premier’s comments made in the house yesterday that the salaries of education assistants, cleaners and gardeners may be docked, but they will not be stopped. (1) Is the Premier aware that eight cleaners at Gilmore College in Kwinana have been docked an entire week’s pay after they implemented work bans, which resulted in them not cleaning the administration block but continuing to perform all other duties, including toilets, classrooms, dealing with deliveries and securing the school? (2) Will the Premier immediately intervene to reverse this decision that has resulted in these low-paid workers losing their meagre $640 in pay? (3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(1) Is the Premier aware that eight cleaners at Gilmore College in Kwinana have been docked an entire week’s pay after they implemented work bans, which resulted in them not cleaning the administration block but continuing to perform all other duties, including toilets, classrooms, dealing with deliveries and securing the school? (2) Will the Premier immediately intervene to reverse this decision that has resulted in these low-paid workers losing their meagre $640 in pay? (3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(2) Will the Premier immediately intervene to reverse this decision that has resulted in these low-paid workers losing their meagre $640 in pay? (3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(1) Is the Premier aware that eight cleaners at Gilmore College in Kwinana have been docked an entire week’s pay after they implemented work bans, which resulted in them not cleaning the administration block but continuing to perform all other duties, including toilets, classrooms, dealing with deliveries and securing the school? (2) Will the Premier immediately intervene to reverse this decision that has resulted in these low-paid workers losing their meagre $640 in pay? (3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(2) Will the Premier immediately intervene to reverse this decision that has resulted in these low-paid workers losing their meagre $640 in pay? (3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(3) Will the Premier now instruct the Treasurer to investigate and rectify any other instances in which workers have had their pay unfairly docked? Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: (1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
(1)-(3) I thank the member for the question, and he is correct in his description of what I said yesterday. There was a gathering outside my office in Perth and I went and spoke to them for 10 or 15 minutes or so. Although most of the comments were obviously about the wage negotiation itself and the quantum that was offered by the state, a number of mainly women made the point to me that, although they had taken some industrial action and in a sense they accepted that their salary could be docked—they were not pleased, but they accepted that was probably part of the deal—they had also had their salaries stopped. I said to them that I did not think that was fair and I immediately returned to my office and asked my staff to be in contact with the education department to make sure that no-one was unfairly treated. If there are remaining cases, I will ensure that they are dealt with.
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