The federal Liberals have rejected an invitation to attend a national jobs summit next month, labeling it a stunt.
Key points:
The opposition has ruled out any of its MPs attending next month’s jobs summit
The federal government is agreeing to a summit with the hopes it will prompt wages and productivity growth
Peter Dutton says the summit is a “stunt” with the unions
The federal government is preparing to agree to a summit for the first week of September that it hopes will be a keystone for its economic policy in the term ahead that will unify business, government and unions.
Government ministers had expressed hesitation over inviting the opposition, saying it would only be invited if it was prepared to be constructive.
On Tuesday Treasurer Jim Chalmers wrote to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, extending an invitation for him or another Coalition MP to attend.
But Mr Dutton has rejected the invitation.
“It’s a stunt with the unions,” Mr Dutton said.
“We’ll support all sorts of good policies from the government … but we’re not going to support stunts.
“The fact that Jim Chalmers wrote to me and then within a couple of hours dropped it to The Australian newspaper demonstrates it is nothing more than a stunt.”
Unions lay down reform agenda ahead of summit
Overnight, the peak union body outlined its goals for the upcoming jobs summit, with “full and secure” employment being its first priority.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions said despite unemployment being at a historic low, real wages were declining and insecure work was “rife”.
The ACTU said the federal government should implement an excess-profits levy on companies “enjoying windfall profits as a result of current inflation”, cancel planned tax cuts for high-income earners and regulate labor markets to ensure wages rose in line with productivity.
The unions have already flagged they want enterprise bargaining rules overhauled, something the government has indicated it will pursue despite resistance from business groups.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said for workers to benefit, the government must do more than fiddle around the edges on workplace reforms.
“It requires new ways of thinking about how our system is managed, who benefits from it, and how to change it for the better,” Ms McManus said.
Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume said despite her party’s refusal to attend, the jobs summit would be an important chance to set the policy agenda for the coming term of government.
“The jobs summit that’s coming up will be a very important event in which a lot of these demands get aired,” Senator Hume told Sky News.
“The real test, of course, will be when Labor starts ruling out some of these demands from their union masters.
“I think this is an important opportunity for the Australian public to really hear what it was they voted on.”
An audit has revealed Charles Sturt University (CSU) owes almost $4.7 million in back payments to thousands of current and former casual staff.
Key points:
CSU commissioned the audit which covered the period from July 2015 to June this year
It found $4.7 million in payments were owed to 2,526 current and former casual employees
The union welcomed the announcement but said the university was too reliant on casual and contract staffing
A statement from vice-chancellor Renee Leon said CSU commissioned the external review in response to widespread wage compliance issues in the higher education industry.
More than 2,500 employees have been identified as missing out on pay and superannuation since July 2015.
CSU said 75 per cent of the back payments owed were for $1,000 or less.
The National Tertiary Education Union’s Bathurst branch secretary Greg Auhl said it was pleasing that the “enormous” problem had been acknowledged.
“We’re very happy that our members will get what they have actually earned and what they should have been paid for in the first place,” Mr Auhl said.
It comes after the university cut hundreds of jobs and subjects in response to a $50 million deficit in 2020.
Universities reliant on ‘good graces’
CSU’s statement said the underpayments were the result of unintentional errors, due to “mistakes” in interpreting the Enterprise Agreements.
But Mr Auhl argued that explanation was not good enough.
“As academic and professional staff we understand what our work entails, so why can’t our management understand that?”
He said there was an industry-wide over reliance on casuals.
“For far too long, the higher education sector has relied on the good graces of casual and contract staff to work above and beyond what they’re actually paid for,” Mr Auhl said.
“What we’re starting to see here now is that being exposed.”
CSU said the review had also identified instances of overpayments, but would not seek that money back.
It said it had identified “procedural enhancements which are being implemented to ensure ongoing wage compliance”.
The West Australian government will give all public sector workers a 3 per cent annual pay rise, over two years, and a one-off $2,500 payment, in an attempt to offset rising inflation and cost-of-living pressures.
Key points:
More than 150,000 public sector workers will be offered a pay rise and one-off payment
The changes will cost $634 million over the next four years
UnionsWA says a one-off cash payment is no substitute for real base wage increase
Industrial action had been escalating in recent weeks over the West Australian government’s wages policy, with unions urging the state to lift its 2.75 per cent wage cap to reflect the soaring cost of living.
Public service employees who have already accepted the previous agreement — including teachers, doctors and transit guards — will receive the difference and have the one-off $2,500 payment paid to them in the coming weeks.
The new offer also includes a 0.5 per cent superannuation guarantee increase per year, over two years.
Premier Mark McGowan says the wage increase comes after considerable consultation with public sector unions.(ABC News: James Carmody )
Premier Mark McGowan said the government wanted to recognize workers for their efforts during the pandemic.
“We’re going to change our wages policy and make it more generous for our public sector workforce, who are doing a terrific job, particularly over the COVID period,” Mr McGowan said.
“Our base pay rate is more generous than New South Wales’. It’s more generous than Victoria’s and I think it better reflects the expectations of the workforce.
“And, certainly for this year — for the vast majority of the workforce — it’s significantly above the inflation rate.
“We have significant competition for labour. It’s important we have a very vibrant, very successful economy, that we have a well-rewarded workforce, that we resolve these EBA issues, and we get back to the business of service delivery.”
The changes will apply to more than 150,000 public sector workers, with an expected price-tag of $634 million over the coming four years, bringing the total wages bill to $2.54 billion over that period.
Mr McGowan said that while the state government was doing all it could to alleviate cost-of-living pressures, it was also important to protect the state’s finances.
“Maintaining a good budget is very important to ensure that we have enough money to spend on what is important, and we don’t get ourselves into a difficult position and have the credit rating outcomes that other states and territories have had.”
Industrial action has been escalating in recent weeks over the state’s wages policy. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
The state’s Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston said the new wage policy offered the “right balance”.
“This is an important adjustment that reflects the changed circumstances that we’ve had since December last year,” he said.
“We’re responding appropriately. We have to protect the interests of the taxpayers, but we also have to be generous to the workforce.”
Many workers going ‘backwards’
UnionsWA has criticized the announcement, saying one-off cash payments are no substitute for real base wage increases.
However, it welcomed what it called the McGowan government’s recognition that its public sector wages policy did not meet the needs of workers in the state.
Unions WA Secretary Owen Whittle says the government announced the offer without genuine bargaining. (ABC News: Jon Sambell)
UnionsWA secretary Owen Whittle said low-wage public sector workers would benefit most, but others much less so.
“For many public sector workers — police, firefighters, child protection workers, prison officers — they’ve been going backwards for five years and this policy will ensure they continue to go backwards,” Mr Whittle said.
“One-off cash payments are not a substitute for real base wage increases for public sector workers.”
Mr Whittle said the announcement was made without consultation with unions.
“This isn’t genuine bargaining. We’re not in the room bargaining these pay increases. The government is just dropping this on us.”
The Australian Nurses Federation is still considering the wages offer, but indicated lowering workloads was as important as any pay rise.
That union’s Mark Olsen said the new offer was still not as good as that of nurses in most other states.
“It still leaves West Australian nurses and midwives as the second-lowest paid in the country, without any transparent regulation of their workloads,” Mr Olsen said.
The ANF’s Mark Olsen says the offer leaves WA nurses as the second lowest paid in Australia. (ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Opposition questions long-term wages plan
Western Australia’s Shadow Treasurer, Steve Thomas, labeled the increase “moderately generous”, but said the government should do more to help those who are not in the public sector.
He renewed calls for government fees and charges to be frozen, at a cost of $160 million, which would benefit every West Australian.
Mr McGowan has previously said the current approach — which increases fees and charges at a rate below inflation and gives households a $400 electricity credit — delivers a better result than a freeze.
Dr Thomas wants to see the government go further in giving all West Australians cost of living relief.(ABC News: Keane Bourke)
Dr Thomas also called for a discussion around the state’s wages policy over the longer-term, particularly as the iron ore price corrects, impacting the state’s bottom line.
“I would have liked to see an overall policy for cost of living. That is: a freeze on fees and charges, for at least the 2022-23 financial year,” he said.
“I would have then liked to see [the Premier] reassess the policy in the longer term and, instead of giving a one-off hit in terms of cash, [take] a genuine look at what the government can afford in terms of wage policy.”
