Strike action against the ACT Government by CPSU members will take place next Thursday at Housing ACT, after an overwhelming majority voted in support of taking action in a Protected Action Ballot that closed at midday today.
Over 95% of CPSU members who participated in the ballot voted for protected industrial action after bargaining negotiations stalled between the union and Government.
Public Sector workers have been bargaining since August last year for a pay offer that values and respects the work they do and a wage that keeps up with the cost of living.
So far these workers, many of whom are frontline, have been offered a dismal 3% increase in their pay, an offer that doesn't even keep up with CPI which is currently at 4.6%.
CPSU members are asking for a pay rise that keeps up with the cost-of-living crisis. They want to be able to pay their rent and put food on the table for their families.
On May Day last Friday, these same public sector employees marched in their hundreds to stand up for a decent pay rise for ACT Government workers.
The CPSU lodged Protected Action Ballots in the Fair Work Commission against the ACT Government on the Health Professionals and Admin Enterprise Agreements on 9 April.
Voting on the ballot opened on 23 April and from the first day, the CPSU saw members vote in massive numbers in support of taking industrial action including strikes, work bans and overtime bans.
Quotes attributable to Maddy Northam, ACT Regional Secretary, CPSU:
"CPSU members have had enough of being disregarded by the ACT Government and have voted overwhelmingly in support of taking industrial action against this disgraceful, below CPI pay offer.
"These workers don't want to stop work. They care about and value the work they do for our community every day.
"Now, they are asking the government to value their work, too. We know the community understands just how important these jobs are. They rely on them to access government services every day.
"But the Government's response to this hard work and dedication is a below cost of living pay offer that would push workers and Canberran families backwards.
"The Barr Government is completely out of step with both the workforce and the community with how it has treated these hard-working Canberrans during this bargaining process."
