Delivering fair and affordable wage increases for Tasmania’s State Service
The Government has always believed Tasmania’s hardworking State Service employees deserve a pay rise. But, importantly, it must be fair, it must be sustainable, and it must be affordable so we can continue to invest in frontline services for Tasmanians.
Yesterday, after weeks of negotiation with the unions, the Government tabled a new offer which addresses union concerns, improves workplace conditions for state service employees and allows for a fair and affordable pay rise.
The offer is on top of the hundreds of additional employees the Government has committed to employing, including additional correctional officers, biosecurity officers, child safety workers, national park rangers and hospital workers.
It is an offer that represents the most significant and meaningful improvement to public sector employment conditions in a decade and includes;
A pay rise of 6 per cent over 3 years
This fair, reasonable and affordable offer of a six per cent pay rise over three years will ensure wages remain in line with inflation, while also enabling the Government to employ even more frontline staff and deliver high quality services for Tasmanians.
Delivering permanent employment
The Government has listened to long-standing concerns from employees regarding fixed-term employment. In response, the offer includes conversion of a range of existing fixed-term employees to permanent.
Additionally, a framework will be developed for the future to ensure use of fixed-term employment is only used to meet genuine business needs.
The Government believes that fixed-term employees should only be used when a job is not permanent. The change will finally remove the unnecessary uncertainty created when fixed-term employment is used inappropriately.
This a reform that Tom Lynch and the CPSU have been calling on for years and which Labor failed to deliver in 16 years of government.
Youth Employment – attracting the best and brightest
The $1 million per annum youth employment program for year 12 school leavers will ensure we continue to attract the best and brightest young talent to the State Service.
In addition to a youth focus, this program will support continued investment in building diversity within the State Service through targeting underrepresented groups.
Improved superannuation benefits
The offer will, for the first time, see State Service employees on unpaid Parental Leave receive superannuation contributions.
This offer will be of particular benefit to women, helping to narrow the superannuation gender gap and improve retirement savings.
The offer will also see all State Service employees on workers compensation receive superannuation contributions ensuring that employees injured at work are not faced with the added burden of reduced superannuation contributions.
Improved family benefits
The offer delivers significant improvements to a range of conditions, including increases to Parental and Partner Leave, demonstrating the Government’s continued commitment to providing a family friendly workplace.
More flexible employment arrangements
As a result of continued negotiations with the unions and consultation with State Service employees, the offer provides for a number of smaller improvements, including cashing out leave and increased salary sacrifice options.
A copy of the full offer is available here: https://bit.ly/2r3xlhs
It is now time for the unions to accept the new offer and cease the escalation of industrial actions that are dangerous and unnecessarily causing disruption to the people of Tasmania.
