❓ Question regarding the WA Government's plan to achieve economically sustainable public sector wage outcomes and the budget allocated for coordinating public sector negotiations. The government outlines its approach through wage policy parameters linked to economic forecasts and efficiency initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 2624Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer the Budget Papers page 870, Significant issues impacting the Agency, second dot point regarding economically sustainable public sector wage outcomes, and ask -
(1) How is the Government planning to achieve this outcome?
(2) How much money is allocated for coordinating the public sector negotiations?
(1) How is the Government planning to achieve this outcome?
(2) How much money is allocated for coordinating the public sector negotiations?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 September 2010
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Minister for Commerce
Response time
68 days
The Department of Commerce advises:
(1) Bargaining under the Public Sector Wages Policy has been ongoing since mid-2009. A number of agreements have been finalised within Wages Policy parameters, including agreements providing for increases consistent with projected growth in the Perth Consumer Price Index (CPI) and agreements providing for higher increases up to projected growth in the Wage Price Index.
Through linking bargaining parameters to key economic forecasts for inflation and wages growth the Government has been able to offer employees increases that maintain the real value of their wages, and in some cases provide for real wage increases where efficiency initiatives are negotiated. This will assist in moderating wages growth across the public sector, which had accelerated to unsustainable levels in recent years.
Importantly, agreements providing for above-CPI increases have included cost saving or efficiency-enhancing provisions, such as more efficient rostering provisions, multi-tasking of duties, or better utilisation of existing resources. This has helped to deliver fair and sustainable wage outcomes.
(2) Resourcing the coordination of public sector negotiations is undertaken within existing departmental budget allocations for the Labour Relations Divisions of the Department of Commerce. The Labour Relations Division has prioritised existing resources to enable it to oversee bargaining pursuant to Wages Policy. It is not possible to nominate a specific allocation for the coordination of public sector bargaining alone.
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(1) Bargaining under the Public Sector Wages Policy has been ongoing since mid-2009. A number of agreements have been finalised within Wages Policy parameters, including agreements providing for increases consistent with projected growth in the Perth Consumer Price Index (CPI) and agreements providing for higher increases up to projected growth in the Wage Price Index.
Through linking bargaining parameters to key economic forecasts for inflation and wages growth the Government has been able to offer employees increases that maintain the real value of their wages, and in some cases provide for real wage increases where efficiency initiatives are negotiated. This will assist in moderating wages growth across the public sector, which had accelerated to unsustainable levels in recent years.
Importantly, agreements providing for above-CPI increases have included cost saving or efficiency-enhancing provisions, such as more efficient rostering provisions, multi-tasking of duties, or better utilisation of existing resources. This has helped to deliver fair and sustainable wage outcomes.
(2) Resourcing the coordination of public sector negotiations is undertaken within existing departmental budget allocations for the Labour Relations Divisions of the Department of Commerce. The Labour Relations Division has prioritised existing resources to enable it to oversee bargaining pursuant to Wages Policy. It is not possible to nominate a specific allocation for the coordination of public sector bargaining alone.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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