ACT FOR WAGE JUSTICE

by Christian Hagivassilis

PSA members need a pay rise. Will you act with us to make sure we get it?

As I write, the PSA is negotiating not just the salaried enterprise agreement, but a number of other agreements including Red Cross Lifeblood, SA Water, Forestry SA, and in Parliament.

The salaried agreement covers more than 40,000 public servants – and more than 90% of PSA members.

In the 2017 salaried enterprise agreement, PSA members achieved more than 350 improvements to conditions. This included achieving significantly more than the government-imposed 1.5% wage limit for more than 90% of PSA members, comprehensive job security protections, protections from unreasonable workloads, improved consultation rights and many, many more.

During the 2021 enterprise agreement negotiations, the government wanted to strip out our hard-won job security protections to make it easier to privatise public services and axe members’ jobs. These negotiations happened during the uncertainty of COVID-19, when thousands were being laid off around the country, CPI was around 1.2%, interest rates were low and the Reserve Bank Governor had said there would be no rate rises for years.

Under these circumstances, PSA members held firm to protect their conditions from a hostile government approach – and won.

The world has changed a lot since then. Post-COVID restrictions, the economic impacts of trade tensions, armed conflict and corporate greed have led to the cost-ofliving crisis hurting so many PSA members.

PSA members need a pay rise; one that makes up for the real loss of their purchasing power and which supports their future needs. For more than two years, the PSA has been advocating for the government to alleviate cost-of-living pressures on members; this has largely been ignored. Now it’s time to address wages through a new enterprise agreement.

“ For more than two years, the PSA has been advocating for the government to alleviate cost-of-living pressures on members; this has largely been ignored. Now it’s time to address wages through a new enterprise agreement.”

To get the pay outcome members need, we need to support negotiations with collective action. If we reject a proposition, proposal or eventually an offer, we all need to take action to ensure the next one is better.

Standing alone, haggling and trading conditions for pay never ends well for workers. That’s why we are asking you to think about the collective action you can take to support negotiations.

A lot of members think that action means walking off the job. But that’s not the only option – and it’s rarely the first one taken. There are many actions members can take to put pressure on an employer.

Displaying PSA materials at your workplace shows that we are here and we are united.

Turning out to PSA meetings, events and rallies tells employers and the public that we are standing together for a fair deal.

Nobody knows better what actions will work best in your workplace than you. So now is the time to think about what actions you need to take to get the wage rise you need.