South Australian public servants in tough EBA battle

Bob Briton

South Australian public servants are moving into a second month 
of bans in support of the Public Service Association's (PSA) 
"Fair Deal" campaign for an acceptable Enterprise Bargaining 
Agreement (EBA).

The determination of the public servants has led SA's Industrial 
Relations Minister Michael Wright to accuse the PSA of "bloody-
mindedness". However, a review of the campaign for a new EBA 
shows that it is the Minister and his government that have been 
obstructive and unhelpful.

The 2001 EBA expired on November 22 last year. The PSA got an 
extension of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) protecting 
conditions until a new agreement was worked out. The union had 
already submitted its new claim in August and the Government had 
written promising to continue its policy of no forced 
redundancies.

The PSA claim included a 12 percent salary increase over the next 
two years. Other items were under the broad headings of 
protection of all current conditions, improved conditions and 
benefits, measures to improve mobility across the public sector, 
proper resourcing and staffing levels, improved family friendly 
conditions (including 14 weeks paid maternity leave) and a 
Bargaining Agents Fee for non-unionists benefiting from the PSA's 
efforts.

The response from Cabinet on December 2 was short and sweet. The 
government was offering only a three percent per annum wage 
increase, four percent for the lowest paid ASO1 classified 
workers and six weeks paid maternity leave. The bulk of the 
modest claims from the union had been ignored.

The wage increase of three per cent was a shocker given the 
spiralling cost of household electricity and a 3.9 percent 
increase in state fees and charges. The government offer was out 
of step with its own recent decisions over wages. Judges' pay 
were boosted recently by 12.5 percent per annum and that of 
governments' political staffers by up to 20 percent! Six weeks 
paid maternity leave would still have left SA with the worst 
public sector maternity leave provisions in the country.

Formal negotiations began on December 17. From the outset, 
however, it became clear that the departmental team did not have 
the authority to negotiate the crucial wages question and the 
discussions broke down. It took the Minister until January 28 to 
make a revised offer — a minute increase in pay of 3.5 percent 
and an extension of the four percent increase to ASO2 & 3 
classifications. Eight weeks maternity leave was the only other 
concession.

Mr Wright insisted that his new offer had nothing to do with the 
campaign of bans in place since early in January! In response to 
the Minister's chain dragging, an impressive list of bans has 
been imposed:

* Staff at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science will 
not process Medicare forms for blood tests

* Speed camera operators are refusing to replace film in fixed 
cameras and randomly switching off mobile cameras

* PSA members have been holding up signs drawing the attention of 
motorists to upcoming speed cameras

* Housing Trust staff are not collecting maintenance bills on 
public housing

* Land Titles Office staff are banning overtime

* Road Transport Inspectors are banning shift work and court 
appearances

* Staff at the State Library will not collect fees for services 
and tours

* Family and Youth Services staff are banning some court reports

All together, PSA General Secretary Jan McMahon estimates that 
the campaign has cost the government around $1 million in 
revenues.

Unfortunately, an opportunity to bring the message home to the 
Premier and his Cabinet colleagues was passed up at a meeting of 
workplace representatives on January 21. A motion to continue 
bans was combined with one pledging to keep putting Ministers' 
pay into their bank accounts. This was an act of "good faith" in 
the Minister who had advised the union that another offer was on 
the way.

The faith of the reps was misplaced as it turns out. Dispute or 
no dispute, Premier Rann is still getting his regular $3750 per 
week while his Ministers continue to scrape by on a mere $3300 
each.

Mr Wright's accusation of "bloody-mindedness" followed an 
announcement from the PSA's Wages Committee that the union would 
be prepared to accept any double-digit wage offer.

A packed meeting of worksite reps last Wednesday rejected the 
governments' latest offer and resolved to escalate the PSA's 
industrial action as determined at the worksite level.

South Australia's public servants are clearly in no mood to be 
fobbed off.