Unions representing some of the ACT government's lowest-paid workers have vowed to take industrial action for as long as it takes to achieve a significant pay increase and reclassification of workers.
About 600 union members marched from Glebe Park to Civic Square on Thursday, calling for the ACT government to respond to their claims
General service officers perform cleaning, maintenance and technical duties across public spaces. The base salary for the workers is $50,925.
They are pushing for the base rate to be increased to at least $61,000.
Union members voiced unanimous support at Thursday's rally for future industrial action in support of a pay increase.
CFMEU ACT secretary Zach Smith told the rally there was a moral imperative low-paid government workers fought and won additional pay.
"Canberrans take pride in how progressive we are, how inclusive we are, in how we have a society based on equality. Those are all noble aspirations. But it is just talk if you don't walk the walk," Mr Smith said.
"You cannot call yourself progressive if workers - the same workers that kept this town open, kept us safe during COVID - are sleeping in their cars.
"You cannot say we have a society based on equality when our members ... are forced to use showers and facilities at their depots and workplaces.
"You cannot say you're an inclusive society - it doesn't matter how many press releases you put out, and how many hand-wringing exercises you do, and how much back slapping you do - you cannot say you're an inclusive society if full-time workers are worried about putting food on their table and a roof over their heads."
School cleaners, who are represented by the United Workers Union, also took part in the action.
Mr Smith told reporters the government had made a pay offer but had not responded to the unions' claims for the reclassification of workers.
Union members had voted to not respond to the government's offer until the government responded to the union's broader claims, Mr Smith said.
"The point to be made here is even if you got an 8 per cent increase, 8 per cent on fifty-something thousand doesn't actually mean the difference between paying rent or not or putting food on your table. That doesn't fix the structural issue," he said.
An ACT government spokeswoman said the territory was negotiating in good faith with union representatives, including on the issue of reclassification in addition to the first pay offer released to the public service.
"In formulating this offer the government has delivered a pay increase which maintains the territory as a competitive employer and assists workers in meeting the additional costs brought about by the increased cost-of-living, having particular regard to the lowest paid workers within the ACT public service," the spokeswoman said.
"The structure of the offer uses both a flat dollar increase and a percentage increase, providing relatively larger increases to lower paid workers at a time when they are most needed."
The spokeswoman said a general service officer paid between $50,000 and $60,000 would receive an increase of between 7 and 8 per cent in the first year of the agreement, along with a one-off "cost-of-living supplement" of $1250.
The ACT Labor party conference in August heard some general service officers had resorted to sleeping in their cars as they were unable to afford housing in Canberra on their current wages.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr told the party conference the government was focused on actively lifting up the wages of some of the lowest-paid staff in the territory's public service.
Labor party delegates put the ACT government on notice to deliver wage rises to its public servants that are above inflation and keep up with the rapidly rising cost of living.
Party members passed motions at the party's annual conference calling for pay increases of at least 5.5 per cent a year over the next five years and increasing the superannuation contribution rate to 15.4 per cent.
Bob Katter, the federal member for Kennedy, also addressed the rally on Thursday after marching into Civic Square holding a Eureka stockade flag.
Labor Assembly members Yvette Berry, Mick Gentleman, Rachel Stephen-Smith and Michael Pettersson attended the rally, alongside the Greens' Andrew Braddock.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
