Unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers say their members may as well strike instead of imposing limited work bans after the State Government moved to stop paying those involved in minor industrial action.
The unions, which represent workers in the State public sector including schools, hospitals and police said the heavy-handed policy would inflame industrial disputes rather than resolve them.
Until now, workers have received full pay during minor work bans, losing wages only during general strikes.
But school cleaners, gardeners and teaching assistants in the State industrial system last week became the first to lose their entire pay for bans, such as not raking sandpits.
The Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union will consider escalating the action into a strike after dozens of its members were told that their pay had been suspended.
The full extent of non-payment will become apparent next Thursday, which is payday for the 10,000 school workers.
The union claims most are involved in the dispute, but not all principals are implementing the policy.
LHMU secretary Dave Kelly said unpaid stop work meetings would be held at all public hospitals, starting yesterday at Royal Perth, to discuss the controversial new policy.
"The stupidity of this policy is that if the State Government is going to stop pay, then the attitude from workers is going to be that they may as well strike," he said.
Mr Kelly will meet the Government today over the union's claim for a 20 per cent pay increase over three years. The workers are being offered 8 per cent over three years.
The Community and Public Sector Union said it was concerned at losing negotiating power.
CPSU secretary Toni Walkington said the policy was first introduced during the Court-Kierath industrial regime in the 1990s.
Strike threat after workers' pay docked
KIM MACDONALD, The West Australian
November 5, 2009, 2:15 am
WA News / Greg Burke ©
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6 Comments
This government was overly generous with police, nurses and teacher's wages to get their support during the last election. Now it finds it needs to cut back a potentially huge budget deficit and is trying to save money by not giving the very lowest paid workers decent pay and conditions. If we weren't paying about $30,000 a year to chaffeur the treasurer between his electorate and Perth we could easily afford it.
This is disgraceful - these people only earn about $500 in their hand every week (if that!) - with holding their pay is so low it makes me sick. The fat cats in the public service/Government continually award themselves pay rises while the real workers get screwed. Dock the fat cats 2% of their wages and you'd cover 10 cleaner's pay rises.
Good on the cleaners for trying to gain a oay rise. Do they not complete an essentual service. No parent will send a child to a dirty school. A dirty school may be one that has rubbish strewn around the place or one that has needles left behind by stinking druggies. Cleaners are just a bit more than cleaners, they are also health gaurdians for our children. GIVE THEM A PAY RISE YOU TIGHT ARSES AND WHILST AT IT DOCK YOUR OWN PAYS FOR YOUR INCOMPETENCE AND INABILITY TO HANDLE THIS MATTER. The kids demand a better quality of service.
a086099 perhaps you haven't read the other atricle in today's headlines regarding St John Ambulance response times and the continuing decline in WA's Ambulance sevice. This is a service that remains privatised or outsource whatever you prefer to call it. Have you ever had your job outsourced or were you ever on an individual workplace agreement? I was once under the Liberal Court Government. When the next government (Labor) abolished AWA's in WA my hourly rate went up by $3 p/h during the week and $6 p/h on weekends. That was about 7 years ago, I was working as a chef at the time. If nothing else the Court government awakened me to how right wing and anti worker they are. The Director General received $50,000 wage increase recently and Teacher Assistants, Cleaners and Gardeners are offered 2-3%. What a disgrace.
Why would it be good for the sysytem to have staff who are only employed because of the profit motive of the employer? If a company supplies staff on contract to the Hospitals and makes a profit from that, the only way is for those staff to be screwed down on their wages and/or conditions. Sounds like the liberals, these workers are some of the lowest paid anyway - so lets screw them further!! Why shouldn't they enjoy similar increases to those which the nursing staff obtained? Even the MPs got a substantial pay rise and they, who are the highest paid pollies in Australia by the way, are refusing to give a smaller increase than they received. Sounds about right for the pollies, do as I say, not as I do. This policy will result in just what the union official said, workers who want to negotiate an increase in good faith, will have no option but to strike!! Look out WA - workers have had enough of management and pollies greed, and by their example will demand more for themselves - and why not!!
DO these idiots not realise that privatising cleaning, food and other services is actually good for the system. Then the Govt can focus on providing the actual doctors and nurses. Mr Kelly is just more worried about losing union membership.