Salaried Enterprise Agreement – PSA Calls On Government to Take A Reality Check

The PSA has called on the government to acknowledge the reality of the cost of living crisis hurting PSA members, and to confirm its representatives have authority to negotiate.

These are both fundamental requirements for establishing a basis for constructive enterprise agreement negotiations.  

We have called on the government to engage in negotiations in a constructive, focused, respectful and serious manner.

The government’s insulting “initial proposition” – up to 3% from August next year subject to reducing conditions - has demonstrated this government is not taking the realities of the cost of living crisis or these negotiations seriously.

The PSA has written to the declared employer of all public sector employees requesting confirmation that the government representative who made the disrespectful “initial proposition” has her full authority and instructions to negotiate on the declared employer’s behalf.

The PSA has also sought some basic, factual information from the declared employer in the following terms:      

• Please advise if you, as the declared employer, accept that the real value of public sector wages has been reduced by reason of cost of living pressures during the past three years.    

• If you do accept that public sector wages have reduced in value during the past three years please advise in percentage terms the extent you understand that reduction in value to be.          

• If you do not accept that public sector wages have reduced in value, please confirm that and explain why.

• Please provide yours, as the declared employer’s, rationale for the quantum of the “initial proposition”.

• Please identify every single “amendment” you, as the declared employer, have decided you want to make to the current enterprise agreement.            

The PSA’s letter to the declared employer can be read here. PSA letter to AGD_CE_241111 Salaried Enterprise Agreement_response.pdf

These negotiations are too important for the government to be playing tricky, time-wasting, disrespectful games.

The PSA will do all it can to focus the government’s attention on members’ highest priorities for these negotiations.  

If you haven’t already, talk to your PSA Worksite Representative or Organiser now about what actions you and your colleagues can be taking in your workplace to tell the government you are serious about achieving a respectful agreement.