Hundreds of public sector workers braved strong winds and rain to rally for better pay as unions denounced the state government's revised wage offer as a "one-off sugar hit".
The workers gathered outside Fiona Stanley Hospital for the third stop-work meeting in Perth in less than a month, as unions warned of more industrial action unless the government brings an offer to the table that keeps pace with the rising cost of living.
Unions WA Secretary Owen Whittle warned the government it had "entrenched industrial strife through the rest of their term of government", declaring that a mass rally outside state parliament would go ahead on August 17.
The joint meeting of public sector unions representing police, firefighters, prison officers, teachers, child protection, health and other public sector workers vowed to press on for a "fair pay" deal.
Unions want at least 5 per cent a year
The McGowan government has offered a 3 per cent increase to salaries this year and next, plus a $2,500 one-off payment.
The unions wanted the government to come to the table with an offer of at least five per cent a year.
Mr Whittle said the government's revised offer was an acknowledgement the workers deserved a pay rise but it was not good enough, as interest rates and cost of living soared.
"The three per cent is a low wage offer in the current economic environment, it doesn't recognise the hard work of the public sector through the pandemic and doesn't recognise the extremely high cost of living pressures that workers are currently facing," Mr Whittle said.
"The new policy does not adequately offset inflation over the two years it covers.
"Further, it comes off the back of pay going backwards in real terms for most over the past five years."
Workers feel 'left behind'
An orderly from the hospital spoke of feeling left behind as inflation and the cost of living outstripped wage growth in WA.
"Six years ago or so when they gave us a wage cut ... we did it in good faith because that was what was asked of us," Adrian Durie said.
"We've been doing it tough with a global pandemic, and the time has come to help out your West Australians, and that doesn't feel like that's really happened."
The government upped its pay offer to public sector employees on Sunday following the ongoing campaign by unions and in acknowledgement of rising cost of living pressures.
Premier Mark McGowan said the $2,500 payment was to reflect current pressures, which he expected to ease over the next year.
Perth currently tops all capital cities with a whopping 7.4 per cent inflation rate.
Health Services Union WA secretary Naomi McCrae echoed comments the McGowan government's offer "falls short" of the rising cost of living.
"It's wishful thinking to think that we'll be back at 3 per cent [inflation] by the middle of next year," Ms McRae said.
United Workers Union coordinator Kevin Sneddon said it was a short-term fix.
"All that this will allow them to do is lift their head above water for a short period of time," he said.
"Let's be clear. Pretty soon, they'll be drowning again."
Mr Whittle today conceded the revised offer may be approved by some groups of union members "as the one-off payment does deliver benefits to low wage public sector workers".
But for others, he said, real wage cuts will continue in the second year of the agreement.
"There is a serious problem in the second year when the one-off payment that is not on the base wage is long gone and the three per cent rise fails to keep pace with inflation."
