Following the NSW State Election in March, the recently elected conservative Government has taken its first aggressive steps to attack public sector workers and unions. Despite going to the election without a single word being uttered about attacking public sector workers, the new Liberal (conservative) Government has moved legislation in the NSW Parliament to attack and undermine the wages of NSW Public Sector workers.
The effects of the changes proposed by the Government would be to undermine the capacity of public sector employees and their unions to bargain. This will reduce the wages and conditions of public sector employees.
The Government has decided that it will be Parliament, rather than bargaining, or an independent industrial tribunal, which will be the forum where public sector wages will be decided. The relevant Minister, at a stroke of a pen, can now decide what a public sector employee will be paid. This is a fundamental attack on the rights of workers to organise!
Unions and the Labor opposition have been quick to condemn the changes and Unions have been quick to mobilise public support against the proposals. Despite the opposition, the Government intends to proceed ahead with its sneaky attack on public sector unions under the guise of 'budget restraints'.
Unions will be holding a rally next Wednesday 15 June against the changes in an effort to force the Government to back down. For more information go to http://www.betterstate.org.au/
The effects of the proposed changes are that the O'Farrell public sector wage proposal will undermine the capacity of public sector employees and their unions to bargain. This will reduce the wages and conditions of public sector employees. Next, as employees are unable to advance their interests through proper bargaining, highly skilled employees will leave the NSW public sector. With job cuts will go service cuts. Finally, at a time when our State is growing we need more services and workers to deliver these services, not less.