Hodgman Needs to Take Over Public Sector Issue

The Premier, Will Hodgman, must take control of the public sector issue, and undertake that his government will abide by any determination made by the Tasmanian Industrial Commission on the public sector’s recent application to amend wage agreements, Greens Leader Kim Booth MP said today.

“Treasurer Peter Gutwein has cynically contrived a collision course between the public sector unions and government over jobs, and is virtually challenging them to resort to industrial action,” Mr Booth said.

“As Premier, Mr Hodgman is the responsible employer for our hard-working public sector workers, and it is past time he intervened, reined Mr Gutwein in, and took over negotiating a workable solution with the unions.”

“It is the Liberal government that is refusing to behave in a mature or constructive manner, and so far which has done nothing but install road-block after road-block preventing meaningful negotiations or outcomes.”

“Given Mr Gutwein has abandoned his flawed Bill that sought to disembowel the state’s industrial commission, it is now incumbent upon the Premier to publicly state his government will abide by any determination this independent umpire makes regarding the unions’ wage freeze claim. He must also undertake that jobs will not be cut in retribution for the unions’ claim on the workers’ behalf,” Mr Booth said.
Kim Booth MP | Greens Leader