The PSA would like to thank all members who participated in our recent Salaries survey. Your responses have helped us negotiate with the Government to secure a fair and reasonable increase for all hard-working Public Servants.

PSA General Secretary Stewart Little has written to the Premier urging him to resolve this issue as soon as possible. Click HERE for a video message from Stewart on the fight for your pay increase.

Since our 15 July bulletin the PSA has been in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) twice for Conciliation over your pay rise. The Government has so far refused to increase its offer and has suggested that if conciliation fails, the 0.5 per cent additional payment mentioned in its letter would be withdrawn. This would reduce the pay increase even further to just 9 per cent over three years.

Yesterday, the latest Consumer Price Index inflation figures were released for the June quarter. At a time when the Government is offering just a 3 per cent increase, CPI rose to 3.8 per cent. This is up from 3.6 per cent in the March quarter. This is the reality members are facing right now, increasing daily costs for food, petrol, housing and more while the Government drags its feet a pay increase that was due a month ago today!

At our most recent Conciliation session, the Vice President of the IRC ordered the PSA to meet with the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, Simon Draper, to discuss a number of suggestions put forward by the Commission for consideration.

We will return to the IRC on 9 August for further Conciliation. Should that fail, we expect the IRC to make orders that may lead to Arbitration. If this occurs it will be a long and arduous process for PSA members.

The PSA will do all it can to gain what you deserve through Conciliation. However, your union is also preparing to take further action in support of members.

Survey results

What you told us, overwhelmingly, was that you want the PSA to continue to fight for a fair deal and not accept the Government’s offer. More than 95 per cent of members responding told us NOT to accept the Government’s offer, which represents a guaranteed wage cut for 2024-25 and potential further wage cuts in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Members were evenly divided on if they still wanted to pursue a multi-year deal or pursue a one-year deal given the failure of the Government to keep its election promise to address the long-term degradation of public sector pay.

You also let us know that there is strong interest in taking the fight to this Government through industrial action. More than 80 per cent of members in the survey identified a willingness to participate in joint action with other Public Sector unions, which are also dealing with unfair pay offers from this government. All other suggested industrial action types were also strongly supported.