WA's public sector wages dispute is far from over, with three unions still at loggerheads with the state government.
Nurses yesterday moved to the next stage of their industrial action, as workers from across government departments gathered in the CBD to push for better pay and conditions.
Police are also taking part in their own action, with officers not taking work phones home with them, and there are plans to escalate next week.
But Premier Mark McGowan maintained the government's current offer was generous, also pointing to falling inflation in the state.
That is because after months of seeing the highest inflation rate in the country, WA now has the lowest.
New figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics yesterday showed prices had risen 6 per cent between September 2021 and 2022, compared to 7.3 per cent nationally.
Between July and September, overall inflation fell by 0.5 per cent in WA, the only place to record a drop, while the national average rose by 1.8 per cent.
However, in answer to a question from shadow treasurer Steve Thomas, the government revealed in parliament that without its $400 electricity credit, inflation in WA would have sat at 1.7 per cent.
Mr McGowan has long pointed to that credit as a key cost-of-living relief measure for the state, and yesterday said WA's economy was the envy of the nation.
"Our wages offer is more generous than Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, and the cost of living here is lower than those states, and inflation went down," he said.
"Our wages offer is very good. We just urge the workforce to continue to negotiate."
That offer is a $3,120-a-year increase for workers earning under $104,000, or a 3-per-cent-a-year increase for those over the threshold.
Both will also receive a $3,000 sign-on bonus.
Industrial action 'poor form': Health Minister
The Health Minister had a similar message for the Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) when she spoke in Parliament yesterday.
"The ANF and senior members of the [health] department, including the Director-General, has been meeting with them almost every day since Thursday last week, including on the weekend," Amber-Jade Sanderson said.
"We have put an offer on the table which is everything that they've asked for publicly.
"It is unnecessary and in fact poor form to continue industrial action when there is genuine bargaining afoot. That is actually not the premise of good faith bargaining."
But the union was not budging, beginning its ban on overtime yesterday afternoon on top of its existing ban on double shifts.
"The point of the industrial action so far is to bring out into the light the amount of staff deficits the government's been hiding," union secretary Janet Reah said.
"There will be some delays with admitting patients and patient care, but unfortunately we've been working under an unsafe nursing load for the longest time, so we need more numbers and ratios and workload limits."
Workers rally through city
The Murray Street Mall was packed with the colours and sounds of the CPSU/CSA's rally yesterday afternoon, as staff from the Departments of Communities, Transport, Education and Justice took their bid for better pay and conditions to the streets.
Union secretary Rikki Hendon said even at 6 per cent, inflation remained high and was hitting workers hard.
"It doesn't change what we're asking for. CPI remains much higher than the wages policy provides for … the cost of living remains high," she said.
Ms Hendon also pointed out that low unemployment and a high participation rate, while good for WA's economy, meant there was a lot of competition for skilled labour.
"People in the public sector who face a lot of wage suppression are now dealing with the challenge of their colleagues going to private industry because they offer better pay and conditions," she said.
"So that's a challenge in terms of getting the public sector's work done."
Police union vents frustration
The WA Police Union yesterday said they were "frustrated, annoyed and somewhat angry" they are still without an offer, four months after their current agreement with the government expired.
President Mick Kelly said he had spoken with Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston yesterday and was hoping a new offer would be on the table soon.
He said assaults on police officers were at a 10-year high, and that was just one of many factors contributing to 372 officers leaving the force this year, compared to 139 at the same time last year.
"We haven't seen figures like this since 2007, 2008, and back then it was a mining boom," he said.
Mr Kelly said officers leaving the force now were not headed for the resources industry though, instead choosing jobs where they can work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
The union is asking for at least a 5 per cent pay rise each year, as well as better pay for officers who work nights and weekends.
"I don't believe that's unreasonable with the fact of the surplus where it is, inflation is still high," Mr Kelly said.
"I've heard comments that the Premier is preparing for recession.
"Well, sadly with the attrition rates that are soaring through the roof from members not wanting to stay within WA police force, you need police officers out there protecting the community and being able to respond to their calls of need."
Premier keen to keep 'financial firepower'
Mr McGowan has been increasingly speaking of the need to be financially conservative, with economic clouds gathering over international economies.
"Every major indicator is now saying there's going to be a worldwide recession," he told Parliament yesterday.
"They're saying all over the world that economies are going to be significantly hit. You need to keep your financial firepower for when that occurs.
"[The offer] reflects the fact we want to reward the workforce more, but we also need to keep some capacity for what could lie ahead.
"We are reasonable, responsible and reliable and cautious because that's the world we're in at this point in time."
Mr McGowan has previously said the current wages policy is the government's final offer.
