Wednesday 12 June 2024
The Cook Government has ignored the Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association’s (CPSU/CSA) claims for improved entitlements for regional employees in its pay and conditions offer to WA public sector workers this week.
The CPSU/CSA sought improved access to the Annual Leave Travel Concession, an improved Travelling Allowance, an expansion of the Remote and Isolated locations list, expanded access to Personal Leave Travelling Time and the Air Conditioning Allowance to be improved and secured under the Agreement. Government’s offer provides no response to these important claim items for regional public sector workers.
CPSU/CSA Branch Secretary, Rikki Hendon, labelled this lack of consideration for Western Australia’s regional public sector workers a serious disappointment.
“This week’s first offer for a replacement to the Public Sector Civil Service Association Agreement 2022, which expires today, has been resoundingly rejected by CPSU/CSA delegates. In addition to pay rises which fall short of what has been offered for other public sector cohorts, and no movement on other headline items, the Cook Government made no progress towards addressing the unique challenges of Western Australia’s regional public sector workers.
“In 2022, the CPSU/CSA successfully achieved a review into the Regional Entitlements for regional public sector workers under our industrial coverage. In February, CPSU/CSA regional delegates determined that a number of issues raised in the information-gathering ahead of the review would be most appropriately resolved through bargaining. The Government has simply ignored these reasonable requests from regional public sector workers.
“WA’s public sector attraction and retention crisis is amplified in regional locations and places local delivery of vital public services at risk. We must see action from the Cook Government to improve conditions for regional public sector workers in this round of bargaining.
“Our members will now commence rolling campaign action across the state to build pressure on the Cook Government to deliver a pay and conditions offer that safeguards and supports our public services by making the public sector an employer of choice.”
ENDS
- The Public Sector Civil Service Association Agreement 2022 expires on Thursday, June 13th, 2024.
- This statement should be read in conjunction with PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS REJECT FIRST WAGES AND CONDITIONS OFFER AND COMMIT TO ROLLING ACTION
- The full offer from Government and the CPSU/CSA’s Log of Claims can be found on the union’s website.
- 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. The CPSU/CSA and CPSU are separate organisations with the latter covering Commonwealth, ACT and NT public sector workers.
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.