John Nebauer, Adelaide
Industrial action by state government employees has pressured the SA Labor government to negotiate around a new industrial agreement.
Four months ago, the Public Service Association of SA lodged a claim for a 12% pay rise over two years. The SA government claimed its "final" offer was a 6% pay rise over two years. In response, the PSA mounted an industrial campaign targeting the government's revenue-raising.
On January 6, employees of the SA Land Titles Office voted to ban overtime, after management asked them to work overtime three out of five days to overcome a backlog. On the same day, PSA members began targeting a prime source of government revenue by standing at selected major intersections, holding placards advising motorists that speed cameras were in operation, and asking them to drive safely.
In a January 6 press statement, PSA state secretary Jan McMahon said that, "Our members are well aware of the recent pay rises awarded to judges (12.5%), the government's own political staff (average of 11% with some increases as high as 20%) and other public sector workers in the health sector (4%).
"Couple this with the increased cost of power and water and general increase in the government fees and charges (3.9%) like motor vehicle registration, and our members do not believe their claim is unreasonable."
The action subsequently spread. State library workers voted not to charge for school tours, photocopying and digital imaging. Road transport inspectors banned shift work and court appearances in traffic cases. Industrial relations minister Michael Wright's response was that the union would have to wait until he returned from his holidays.
On January 14, speed camera operators joined the industrial action, refusing to replace film or operate cameras. A few days later, PSA members working in public hospitals, in effect, banned overtime by demanding payment rather than time off in lieu.
All these actions received widespread and generally sympathetic coverage in the mainstream media. A report in the January 18 Sunday Mail that PSA members in charge of government payrolls were considering blocking the pay of Premier Mike Rann and government ministers drew a furious response from Peter Lewis, the parliamentary speaker. He described the threat to ministers' wages as "tantamount to treason".
On January 20, Wright finally met with PSA officials and told them that the government was prepared to make an improved offer. A meeting of nearly 200 PSA delegates the next day voted to give the minister seven days to respond, and as a sign of "good faith" to not go ahead with blocking ministers' pay. However, they voted overwhelmingly to maintain the current bans until the government responds.
From Green Left Weekly, January 28, 2004.
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