WA deals coming
Western Australian public school teachers have agreed to a revised pay offer from the state government.
The agreement includes a 12 per cent salary increase spread over three years, a significant development after months of discussions and industrial action.
The State School Teacher's Union of WA (SSTUWA) ballot, which closed on Thursday, saw more than 70 per cent of its members vote in favour of the government's proposal, while over 29 per cent opposed it.
Initially, the union had requested a 12 per cent increase over two years, but the final agreement extends this period to three years.
This agreement follows a series of negotiations marked by a statewide walkout by teachers in April.
The union welcomed aspects of the agreement for back pay and the claims and conditions to begin to flow to members, but called for measures to improve workplace conditions and reduce teacher workloads.
Also last week, WA public sector workers, represented by the Community and Public Sector Union/Civil Service Association (CPSU/CSA), commenced rolling industrial actions.
These actions aim to secure a better pay offer and a trial for a four-day working week.
The union, representing about 44,000 workers, rejected the government's initial 11.5 per cent pay increase over three years, seeking instead a 12 per cent increase over two years.
CPSU/CSA assistant branch secretary Melanie Bray highlighted the union's stance in a radio interview.
“Our delegates overwhelmingly rejected the first offer and committed to starting some rolling action to send the message to the Cook government that we needed a better offer on the table,” she said.
“A trial would give us the opportunity to see what works and what doesn't … to look at some evidence and look at some data and apply what works across the sector.”
The union's rolling actions began with a lunchtime walkout at Supreme Court Gardens in Perth, involving public sector workers from various departments, including the David Malcolm Justice Centre, courts, and WA Police Headquarters.
Bray noted that there is potential for escalation if negotiations do not progress.