Saturday, June 29, 2013

NSW: O'Farrell War on Superannuation

In an appalling lack of good faith, the NSW Government has overturned the independent umpire’s decision by directly setting public sector wages by Government dictate.

The NSW Government has today passed a special regulation to strip superannuation increases from the salaries of public sector workers.

“The Government has lost its moral compass when it comes to its employees,” Unions NSW Secretary Mark Lennon said.

“It needs to understand workplace relations is about give and take, not just take.

On Tuesday, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission ruled that public sector workers were entitled to receive both a pay-rise of 2.5 per cent as well as the Commonwealth mandated superannuation increase of 0.25 per cent.

But in a cynical move, the Government has announced a special regulation that will force public sector workers to pay for their own superannuation increase.

“This is a highly cynical move, announced late on a Friday afternoon while the public attention is fixed on Canberra,” Mr Lennon said.

“The Government is trashing proper process and ignoring a decision by the independent umpire, the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.

“The NSW Government’s wages straightjacket of 2.5 per cent will now be cut back to only 2.25 per cent.

“How does this Government think it is going to attract the nurses, teachers, police and firefighters this State needs when wages are effectively stagnating or going backwards?

“Whenever the O’Farrell Government wants to make cuts it always expects public sector workers to wear the pain.”

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