Workers demand ACT Government pass on pay rises - ABC Online

Updated September 24, 2013 18:52:05

Community sector workers across Canberra will walk off the job on Wednesday angry that the ACT Government is not passing on equal pay increases.

Last year Fair Work Australia found community sector workers were underpaid and ordered that wages increase by between 19 and 41 per cent to reduce the gender pay gap.

Sally McManus from the Australian Services Union says the ACT is the only jurisdiction not paying workers equal pay increases.

"The ACT Government has decided to freeze their pay and not to do anything about the gender pay gap that exists in the community sector and this is really totally outrageous," Ms McManus said.

"Every other worker around the country has been funded for equal pay increases on the 1st of December except for the ACT and so I just think that is a terrible indictment on the government.

"We believe that workers need to go up every single year as the court ordered so that the gender pay gap is zero at the end of eight years."

The union says community workers will leave skeleton staff on duty to handle urgent requests.

"Our members work with homeless people, people with disabilities and communities that are disadvantaged in the ACT and so whenever we take industrial action we always make sure that number one those people are not affected," she said.

A petition with 800 signatures will be presented to the government demanding it reconsider its decision.

'Paid up'

The ACT Government has denied it has withheld the pay increases.

Treasurer Andrew Barr says all money the government committed to provide to the community sector has been handed over.

"We've provided the money and if it is not finding its way through to community sector workers that is concerning, but it is an industrial relations matter," Mr Barr said.

"It's not a question of the ACT Government withholding any money.

"The issue here is that we don't employ any of these workers so if they are not getting pay increases then that is a matter that the union needs to negotiate with their employers."

Topics: community-organisations, states-and-territories, canberra-2600, act

First posted September 24, 2013 17:05:34