Firefighters join union push for less severe pay freeze agreement
Tasmania's firefighters have joined teachers and nurses to call on the Treasurer to keep his election promise to bolster the front line.
Treasurer Peter Gutwein wrote to unions urging them to be "sensible" about proposing a plan to save front line jobs.
Firefighters are among the sectors whose jobs are not safe unless they agree to a wage freeze on the State Government's terms.
Greg Cooper from the Firefighters' Union said threatening emergency service workers jobs was not a good idea.
"Service work is no longer safe, and emergency service work is no longer safe," he said.
"They won't define that specifically for us yet, which makes it difficult, but they haven't precluded it."
Mr Gutwein has warned public servants he would cut 861 roles between now and next June unless unions agreed to a pay freeze plan.
"Any job losses are on the unions' heads," he said.
"They have had long enough now to prepare a proposal.
"They have understood the Government's position."
Treasurer threatens cuts to teachers, nurses
In a sternly worded letter sent to union leaders, Peter Gutwein advised a six-month wage freeze with strings attached would not be accepted.
He went on to directly threaten cuts to teacher and nursing jobs.
"The unions fully understand that the Government does not have the money at the moment. We would like to see from the unions a sensible and reasonable proposal in regards to a pay freeze," the Treasurer said.
Mr Gutwein wrote the Government's 18-month pay freeze plan would save $50 million and 500 full-time jobs (FTEs).
"A 12-month pay freeze saves $30 million (300 FTE) and a six-month freeze $15 million (150 FTE) - not the 500 FTEs that your proposal appears to indicate," he said.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon said the Government was breaking a direct election promise.
"Peter Gutwein is determined to cut frontline services even though before the election the Liberals did say they would protect frontline services," he said.
Tim Jacobson from the Health and Community Services Union appeared hopeful of an interim plan, offering a six-month wage freeze while leaving the door open to more wage restraint later.
"What we're saying to the Government is if you want to talk about next year and beyond, there is a sensible way of doing that across the table, and not through the media and looking at a television camera," he said.
The Government withdrew its proposal to freeze public sector wages in September after the Upper House voted to delay the controversial bill, and the Government embarked on a plan to cut 860 full-time jobs.
Earlier this month the Treasurer opened the door to unions to offer an alternative to save some of those jobs.
