Liberals Challenged to Negotiate with Public Sector Unions

The Liberal government must commit to good-faith negotiations with public sector unions to find alternative options to the threatened 500 additional job cuts, Greens Leader and Treasury spokesperson Kim Booth MP said today.

“The Greens challenge Premier Will Hodgman and Treasurer Peter Gutwein to have the guts to do the decent thing and actually sit down with the public sector unions to negotiate alternative options to secure jobs and community services,” Mr Booth said.

“Clearly the unions are prepared to be reasonable, and are still going through the appropriate consultation steps with their respective members, in an effort to assist with budget imperatives while still protecting jobs and the services so many in our community rely upon.”

“If the public sector unions can be prepared to still offer something constructive, then Mr Hodgman and Mr Gutwein have no excuse to slam the door and refuse to talk.”

“The Treasurer has to wear responsibility for the current situation. He failed to talk to the unions about his planned wage freeze in the first place, he failed to consult the flawed Crown Employees (Salaries) Bill 2014, instead relying on intimidation and threats of further job cuts.”

“Negotiating change in work conditions with employees has proven successful, and is considered good modern practice, in the private sector so maybe if Treasurer Gutwein had talked to state sector workers initially the current fear, anxiety and frustration could have been avoided.”

“This is the leadership challenge to the premier and Treasurer. Stop trying to punish our public sector workers for the rejection of their dodgy Bill by the Upper House, do what should have been done in the first place and sit down with those affected and negotiate,” Mr Booth said.
Kim Booth MP | Greens Leader