WA public sector workers in the legal space will, at lunchtime today, walk off the job to demand better pay and a four-day working week.
The Community and Public Sector Union/ Civil Service Association has been negotiating on behalf of its 44,000 members with a range of jobs from child protection and youth custodial officers, to park rangers, veterinary scientists and dental technicians.
The CPSU/CSA secretary Rikki Hendon. Credit: CPSU/CSA
Workers from 140 William Street, David Malcolm Justice Centre, the courts, the Public Trustee, State Administrative Tribunal, Office of the Public Advocate, WA Police Headquarters and Golden Square will descend on the Supreme Court Gardens, to put public pressure on the state government to address the attraction and retention crisis affecting public service delivery.
It will mark the first of several actions that will take place across a selection of Perth metropolitan and regional locations over the coming weeks.
The union’s secretary Rikki Hendon said workers would continue to put pressure on the state government.
“After years of suppressed wage growth under restrictive government policies, the public sector is in an attraction and retention crisis,” she said.
“Skilled and experienced workers are walking out the door for better pay and conditions in the private and NGO sectors.”
Hendon said without movement on key claim items, including a 7 per cent and 5 per cent pay rise in the first and second years and the four-day workweek trial, public service delivery would continue to face delays as the government would fail to fill crucial vacancies.
