Public sector workers in Tasmania, including teachers and nurses, have slammed the latest pay offer from the state government ahead of planned strikes next week. The Liberal government on Friday met with unions representing teachers, nurses, midwives, firefighters, and prison employees and offered them a seven per cent pay rise over three years. The new offer includes a two per cent increase in the first year, followed by 2.5 per cent in the second and third years. "This is the second improvement in the headline pay rise figure we have put to unions, and on top of that we are continuing to offer a range of improved terms and conditions, as well as employing more public servants to deliver services and reduce workloads on current staff," Treasurer Peter Gutwein said, noting a two-week deadline for acceptance. The Australian Education Union say the proposed pay increase is a display of "contempt and disrespect". "(Premier) Will Hodgman has chosen disruption and school closures over working with teachers on workload solutions and quality education," AEU Tasmania president Helen Richardson said. The AEU wants a three per cent per year pay rise. The unions say the latest offer is only 0.25 per cent higher than an earlier offer. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian branch members will now consider joining next week's teachers strike. "Our members have actually been holding back their industrial action for the last weeks because they put good faith in the government to put an offer to us," ANMF Tasmania executive director Andrew Brakey said. "At this point in time our members would be looking, I would say, to be joining all the other unions industrial action next week." School stop-work meetings have been scheduled in Burnie on April 2 and in Launceston and Hobart on April 3. The government on Friday published a list of schools that will be forced to open late or close early. The government and public sector unions have been at loggerheads for the best part of a year over pay and conditions. Bus drivers from public operator Metro went on strike last week in Hobart, disrupting about 500 services. They plan stop-work meetings again on Tuesday, affecting about 50 bus services in Burnie and more than 100 in Launceston. Teachers and education workers walked off the job in November, along with hundreds of other public sector workers. "It is a massive missed opportunity today to resolve this dispute and to deliver a real pay rise for all public sector workers and take Tasmania away from being a low wage state," CPSU Tasmania assistant secretary Thirza White told reporters. Australian Associated Press
Tas public sector rejects 7 per cent pay offer from the state government, ahead of planned strikes.
Public sector workers in Tasmania, including teachers and nurses, have slammed the latest pay offer from the state government ahead of planned strikes next week.
The Liberal government on Friday met with unions representing teachers, nurses, midwives, firefighters, and prison employees and offered them a seven per cent pay rise over three years.
The new offer includes a two per cent increase in the first year, followed by 2.5 per cent in the second and third years.
"This is the second improvement in the headline pay rise figure we have put to unions, and on top of that we are continuing to offer a range of improved terms and conditions, as well as employing more public servants to deliver services and reduce workloads on current staff," Treasurer Peter Gutwein said, noting a two-week deadline for acceptance.
The Australian Education Union say the proposed pay increase is a display of "contempt and disrespect".
"(Premier) Will Hodgman has chosen disruption and school closures over working with teachers on workload solutions and quality education," AEU Tasmania president Helen Richardson said.
The AEU wants a three per cent per year pay rise.
The unions say the latest offer is only 0.25 per cent higher than an earlier offer.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian branch members will now consider joining next week's teachers strike.
"Our members have actually been holding back their industrial action for the last weeks because they put good faith in the government to put an offer to us," ANMF Tasmania executive director Andrew Brakey said.
"At this point in time our members would be looking, I would say, to be joining all the other unions industrial action next week."
School stop-work meetings have been scheduled in Burnie on April 2 and in Launceston and Hobart on April 3.
The government on Friday published a list of schools that will be forced to open late or close early.
The government and public sector unions have been at loggerheads for the best part of a year over pay and conditions.
Bus drivers from public operator Metro went on strike last week in Hobart, disrupting about 500 services. They plan stop-work meetings again on Tuesday, affecting about 50 bus services in Burnie and more than 100 in Launceston.
Teachers and education workers walked off the job in November, along with hundreds of other public sector workers.
"It is a massive missed opportunity today to resolve this dispute and to deliver a real pay rise for all public sector workers and take Tasmania away from being a low wage state," CPSU Tasmania assistant secretary Thirza White told reporters.
