Canberra workers to rally for pay - NEWS.com.au

COMMUNITY sector workers in the ACT will take their fight for fair pay to the streets, claiming the territory has ignored nation-wide wage increases.

The workers, which number some 4000 and include those in disability and domicile care, were the subject of a Fair Work Commission ruling in 2012 deemed necessary to ensure pay equality within the workforce.

"The ACT government is the only government in Australia that has not passed on money to thousands of front line workers in the community sector to fund their pay increases," Australian Services Union ACT Secretary Sally McManus said.

Under the ruling the Commonwealth agreed to contribute $2.8 billion, much of which would be provided to workers via state and territory governments, who were also called on to commit a share.

"By continuing to withhold the equal pay increases, the ACT government is choosing to do nothing about pay discrimination," Ms McManus said.

"It is insulting to hard-working community workers. These are the people providing support for the most vulnerable in our society."

More than 200 workers plan to rally outside the ACT Legislative Assembly in Canberra on Wednesday to protest the withholding of their pay increase.

The ACT government denies it is withholding money from any worker and stated that many in the community sector are not directly employed by the Territory.

"We're mystified and disappointed as to how the union has got this issue so wrong on behalf of its members," Community Services Minister Andrew Barr told AAP.

The minister said 85 per cent of community sector workers in the ACT were already at or above the award rate of pay, with the remainder on track to come in line soon.