Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members are set to make a powerful statement on Wednesday, 7th June, as they don red attire to express their disappointment with the pay and pay equity proposals tabled by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC).
This day of action by union members, which is not industrial action, highlights the urgency for fair compensation for public sector employees who have faced years of pay caps and wage freezes.
The decision to hold a day of action follows an overwhelming response from CPSU members in a recent union ballot.
An overwhelming 86% of union members who participated in the vote rejected the initial offer put forward by the APSC. The proposed offer, spanning a three-year period, included pay increases of 4% in the first year, 3.5% in the second year, and 3% in the third year, totalling a mere 10.5% increase overall.
The response to the government's highly anticipated pay equity proposal was similarly disappointing.
The union expects negotiations on pay and pay equity to continue in future weeks, where they'll be pushing the APSC to up their offer.
Quotes attributable to Melissa Donnelly, CPSU National Secretary:
"The pay and pay equity proposals have been overwhelmingly rejected by union members who expected more from the APSC.
"Our members will be wearing red to demonstrate to their agencies, the APSC and the government that they are dissapointed with both the pay and pay equity proposals, and that they are united in their campaign to achieve a better outcome.
"Our members wanted to see numbers that recognise the dedication and hard work of public sector employees, that address the attraction and retention crisis in the APS, and that go some way in easing financial pressures.
"And they wanted to see an ambitious pay equity proposal that not only gives an immediate lift to employees who have fallen behind, but one that also lays out a path to real service-wide pay equity.
"They've been clear in communicating to the APSC and the Federal Government that current proposals fall short in achieving any of those goals.
"We expect negotiations on pay and pay equity to continue in the coming weeks, and we will be steadfast in our push for genuinely negotiated and improved offers from the APSC.
