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PSA members continue industrial action
PSA Media Release
December 15, 2009
For Immediate
Use
PSA members continue industrial action
The 1730 staff at the Ministry of Justice who belong to the Public Service Association continue to take industrial as their battle for a fair pay settlement continues.
The leadership of the National Union of Public Employees, which is reported to have just over a hundred members at the Ministry of Justice, has accepted a pay offer that the PSA has rejected.
“We rejected the offer accepted by the NUPE leadership because it fails to address the pay problems of Ministry of Justice staff,” says PSA national secretary Brenda Pilott.
“The offer doesn’t address the fact the Ministry pays its staff on average 6.3% less than the rest of the public service despite running something as essential as our justice system.”
“It also fails to recognise that the Ministry is underpaying its staff because it has a pay system that clearly doesn’t work.”
“The Ministry offer consists of a one-off lump sum payment of $750 that will shrink down to about $500 in the hand after it’s taxed.”
“A one off payment of $500 does nothing to bridge the gap in pay between Justice staff and other workers in the public service.”
“Once the $500 is gone the Ministry’s workers will still be paid an average of 6.3% less than rest of the public service.”
“The PSA also rejected the offer because it does not fix the Ministry’s pay system that is causing their underpayment.”
“PSA members will continue their industrial action until the Ministry agrees to sit down and hold constructive negotiations to reach a fair and affordable pay settlement.”
“We’ve proposed that the staff and PSA work with the Ministry to reduce their costs by finding ways of working more efficiently, identifying and eliminating wasteful spending and improving productivity.”
“As far as we’re concerned bargaining is not over and we are ready and willing to resume constructive negotiations.”
“The Ministry needs to recognise that this the only way we’ll reach a fair and sustainable resolution to this dispute,” says Brenda Pilott.
ENDS
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