Workers from Parks Victoria took strike action to demand equal pay with other public servants.
The Community and Public Sector Union said its members were taking protected industrial action as a “direct result of managements failure to pay staff properly”.
“PV staff are some of the hardest-working, but lowest paid of our state’s public servants. This extraordinary step is due to management’s failure to produce a decent pay offer after more than a year of negotiations,” the CPSU said.
The rally heard from Parks Victoria delegates and workers, who highlighted their work maintaining the state’s parks. One delegate said their annual pay rises are not keeping up with inflation. “We can’t survive in this cost of living crisis if we aren’t paid properly.” Another worker said the Victorian Labor government deliberately undervalues their work in comparison to other sections of the public sector workforce.
“Victorians deserve safe, accessible, and well-maintained public reserves, supported by properly paid staff. Our regional tourism sector relies on this important work,” the CPSU said.
The workers demanded pay parity with other sections of the public service. Their chant was: “We want parity, we are not a charity.”
CPSU Vic Secretary, Jiselle Hanna said PV management not made “a satisfactory offer” over more than year of bargaining. She urged the public to help staff by signing a petition aimed at VP management.
