LHMU News
LHMU reaction to Troy Buswell's Mid Year Review figures
Troy Buswell has today announced that the Western Australian economy is very much in the black to the tune of $51m despite predicting months ago that the global economic turndown would be devastating for the state’s finances.
The wage price increase is forecast to grow by 3.25%, 3.25% and 3.5%, while average weekly earnings in the state are forecast to grow by 4.25% in 2009-10. This leaves the government’s public sector wage policy lagging behind.
Mr Buswell is still offering low paid workers like school support staff measly increases of 2.5%, 2.5% and 3% based on out-of-date figures.
'Sickening'
Carolyn Smith, assistant secretary of the LHMU said: “His announcement is sickening for education assistants, school cleaners and gardeners who have been campaigning since August for a better pay deal.
“It just goes to show how inconsistent his wages policy is, and that it is squarely aimed at punishing low paid workers.
“His government has put up household bills by over $1000 a year and is bullying low paid workers into accepting poor wage offers that will send them backwards financially. In the meantime he is spending hundreds of millions on vanity projects like the foreshore.
“The LHMU is now calling on the treasurer to put his money where his mouth is and scrap his unfair and arbitrarily enforced wages policy.
“For some reason it wasn’t applied to teachers who got 20% even though the global economic downturn was in full swing when it came to their negotiations.
“And it didn’t seem to apply to senior public servants like Sharron O’Neil at the Department of Education, who benefitted from individual bonuses of up to $50,000.”
