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Unions 'risk jobs over pay rises'

HSUWA Sectretary Dan Hill. Picture Dione Davidson/The West Australian

WA Treasurer Mike Nahan has delivered a blunt warning to public sector unions - if they want larger-than-inflation pay rises, it will cost their members jobs.

Dr Nahan took aim at the WA Industrial Relations Commission and the Health Services Union, which last month won above-inflation pay rises in an arbitration case.

The HSU won pay rises of 3.75 per cent and 3 per cent - above the Government's inflation-only 2.75 per cent and 2.5 per cent wages policy guideline.

Dr Nahan said the impact would be an extra $90 million cost over four years and he vowed the Government would not make up the difference with extra funds.

"The HSU was gloating over it," he said. "Well, it will cost them jobs. Stupid. Don't blame us, we did not want this. There will not be extra money, it will be met by efficiencies, not by cash balances or anything like that.

"We said that right from the start. And it will be enforced. There will be trade-offs here.

"The IRC, I think, made a very poor decision. I don't want to lay anybody off in the public sector."

Last week, HSU State secretary Dan Hill said that it was "completely unfair and divisive" to ask health workers and patients to meet the cost of the Government's "flawed" wages policy.