Thousands of public sector workers have rallied across Tasmania for better pay and conditions, flagging further industrial action around Christmas if their concerns aren’t addressed.
State school teachers and support staff, health workers, firefighters, cleaners and child safety officers were among those to walk off the job on Wednesday afternoon.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff labelled the strikes disappointing and disruptive.
He has previously described the state Liberal government’s pay offer of a 3.5 per cent rise in year one, followed by three percent rise in years two and three as final.
The government has also offered workers payments of several thousand dollars.
“Good faith negotiations mean listening and responding ... our government has done that at all levels, with three separate wage offers made to public sector unions since September,” Rockliff said.
Some unions claim they have not received a comprehensive offer, while Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said the proposed deal was not up to scratch.
She said it doesn’t address recruitment, retention and workload problems.
“The premier will need to revise his final offer,” Ms Munday said.
“I really hope that he looks at the depth and breadth of public workers who have turned out across the state.”
Thousands rallied outside parliament house in Hobart and at other major cities, as well as towns and regional centres, in what the union called the biggest strike in years.
Health and Community Services Union state secretary, Tim Jacobson, said the government would face a Christmas of heavy industrial action if the government didn’t properly come to the table.
“This was a shot across the government’s bow. They should now listen (and) put competent negotiators in front of us so we can get these issues solved,” he said.
United Firefighters Union of Australia representative Robin O'Brien, said even if members accepted the government’s offer, they would still be the lowest paid in the country.
Australian Education Union Tasmania president David Genford said stressed teachers had been left with no choice but to strike.
There has been a spike in teachers leaving the profession, with 271 permanent state school employees quitting in 2021/22 compared to 182 the previous financial year.
