Thank you to all members who attended our all-member The Public Sector Needs a Pay Rise meeting on 27 May. You can see a video version of the meeting HERE.

At our meeting, the PSA sent the Perrottet Government an ultimatum: give our members a fair pay rise or they will take part in a state-wide Day of Action. You can read the motion, which was endorsed at our Annual Conference last week, in full below:

This meeting of the PSA membership convened as part of Annual Conference 2022 supports the PSA’s continued demand for a fair and decent wage rise commensurate with inflation and the cost of living.

This meeting condemns the Perrottet Government’s continued refusal to meet with the PSA and to rescind its unfair and unjust workplace laws that caps wage rises at 2.5 per cent including superannuation. This does not keep up with cost of living and the current inflation rate is 5.1 per cent.

In 2020 the NSW Government attempted to freeze wages firstly by legislation, then after this was overturned, in the Industrial Relations Commission, which resulted in a wage rise of only 0.3 per cent for Public Sector Workers.

Resolution:

This meeting endorses the unanimous position adopted by Departmental Committees, Workplace Groups and Vocational Branches for state wide 24-hour industrial action for members working in the NSW Public Sector.  Members working in critical frontline roles may need to remain at work to ensure community safety.

In the event that the PSA does not receive a wage offer from the Government that addresses inflation and the cost of living by COB Monday 6 June 2022 the PSA will take industrial action on 8 June 2022- to be called the PSA Day of Action.

The PSA Day of Action will be coordinated by the PSA Executive, the Central Council and Departmental Committees and includes strike action, stop-work meetings as well as work bans and limitations across all areas of the NSW public sector.

On 30 May 2022 the PSA wrote to the Premier, Dominic Perrottet and advised that if we do not receive a wages offer from the Government that addresses inflation and the cost of living by close of business Monday 6 June 2022 the PSA will take 24-hour state wide industrial action on 8 June 2022.

The Day of Action will involve members stopping work in a 24-hour strike and gathering at rallies throughout the state demanding the Perrottet Government get rid of a wages policy that does not come close to keeping up with our state’s rising living costs and denies our members a fair pay rise. Other strategies, depending on your workplace, will include stop-work meetings, work bans and limitations.

PSA members have helped the state through a pandemic, floods, bushfires and a mouse plague. They are there every day to protect and serve the state. They deserve a pay rise that keeps up with the cost of living.

For more on the Day of Action, click HERE.

The PSA has your back. Only members taking part in the Day of Action are protected by their union. Tell any colleagues who are non-members, now is the time to JOIN THE PSA.

As part of the campaign, the PSA has launched a petition that now has more than 11,000 signatures. Please sign and circulate the petition, as more signatures will make our voice even louder!

Nearly 1000 members have written to their local Member of Parliament. Click HERE to send a letter to your MP to let them know the Public Sector Needs a Pay Rise.

 

 

Yours in union,

Stewart Little
General Secretary
Public Service Association of NSW