CANNINGTON PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS TO WALK OUT FOR WAGES - CPSU/CSA

CANNINGTON PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS TO WALK OUT FOR WAGES


Wednesday 24 July 2024

Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association (CPSU/CSA) members in Cannington will walk out of their workplaces today to demand the Cook Labor Government deliver a pay and conditions offer that allows them to afford to live, live a better life, and stay in important jobs delivering WA’s public services.

This continues the rolling action that has taken place across the Perth CBD and several regional locations this month.

Public sector workers participating in today's lunchtime walkout for wages include but are not limited to, staff from the Department of Education, Department of Energy, Mining, Industrial Regulation and Safety, Department of Communities (Child Protection) and scientists and curators from the WA Museum.

CPSU/CSA Branch Secretary, Rikki Hendon, said public sector workers had done the hard yards of budget repair, and it was time for the Cook Government to invest in real wage repair for the public sector.

“Public sector workers in Cannington will today take action, calling on the Cook Government to urgently invest in public sector wage repair. Our members are seeking pay rises of 7 per cent in the first year of a new agreement and 5 per cent in the next, to catch up and keep up with the cost of living and begin to restore the up to 12 per cent lost in real wages over the past seven years.

“Many public sector workers in the Cannington area are highly specialised workers, whose jobs range from protecting children from neglect and abuse to ensuring employers provide Western Australians with safe and healthy places of work.  What they have in common is that they all see better pay, better conditions, and better workloads in the private and NGO  sectors.

“Our members rejected the Cook Government's insulting first offer last month, which failed to deliver on pay and did not address priority conditions claims, including better super, a 4-day work week trial and improved regional entitlements. They will not relent in their action until an acceptable offer is on the table.

“The Cook Labor Government must act swiftly and invest some of its seventh consecutive surplus in an improved pay and conditions offer that keeps skilled and experienced workers in the WA public sector, delivering the public services we all rely on.

ENDS

  • The action will kick off 12:30pm, for a 1pm finish. Branch Secretary, Rikki Hendon, will be available for comment to camera just after 1pm.
  • The CPSU/CSA covers 44,000 general public sector workers, one-quarter of the WA public sector, including child protection officers, youth custodial officers, park rangers, veterinary scientists and dental technicians.
  • Note to Journalists: Please ensure the full acronym, “CPSU/CSA” when mentioning us. “CPSU” is typically used to refer to the Union that covers Commonwealth, ACT and NT public sector workers. We are related but separate organisations.

For more information or to arrange further comment from Branch Secretary Rikki Hendon, please contact CPSU/CSA Reception on 08 9323 3800 and ask for the Media and Stakeholder Engagement Officer.