Mr AH KIT - 1995-10-18
The CLP's pay offer to PAWA workers is 3% this year and 4% next year. Recently, the newly-established Queensland Transmission and Supply Corporation struck a 12-month enterprise agreement with a 6% pay rise, double the increase offered to PAWA workers. The Far North Queensland Electricity Corporation has struck a 6% 12-month pay rise also. Queensland's new power generation corporation, Austa Electric, has struck a 10% pay rise over 2 years, 43% more than the pay deal offered to PAWA workers. The Electricity Trust of South Australia has struck a 7% 12-month pay deal, more than double the pay increase offered to PAWA workers. Does the minister believe that PAWA workers are worth less than those interstate, does he believe that PAWA workers are less efficient, or is he trying to show ministers interstate that he can crush the workers more effectively than they can?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, in terms of the wage offer, the question should be directed to the Minister for Public Employment. PAWA's workers received a 4% wage increase in 1994. An additional 3% is being offered in this year and a further 4% in 1996. The Northern Territory government views the whole of the Northern Territory Public Service as one enterprise. Given the particular conditions that exist with PAWA - the high cost of providing power and the difficulties of supplying essential services to Aboriginal communities - the costs have to be amortised across the whole of government and across the whole ...
Members interjecting.
Mr BURKE: So too the benefits ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: At the end of the day, we believe the 3% wage offer for this year with a 4% increase in the following year is fair and equitable across the whole of the public service, including PAWA. I would say that members opposite are not talking to PAWA workers whom they claim to represent. If they were to talk to them, those workers would tell members opposite that the wage offer is irrelevant as far as they are concerned. In their opinion, they have a very strong argument for a separate EBA. I have tried to explain to them that we can achieve the conditions they want within the single EBA that is being offered. It is a matter of tinkering around with clause 35, which relates to certain work practices in PAWA. We believe we can achieve what they seek within the single EBA. If members opposite were to ask the workers whether the wage offer is inadequate - that is, whether they require a higher wage offer to be made before they will agree - I am sure that the answer would be that that is not the case.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, in terms of the wage offer, the question should be directed to the Minister for Public Employment. PAWA's workers received a 4% wage increase in 1994. An additional 3% is being offered in this year and a further 4% in 1996. The Northern Territory government views the whole of the Northern Territory Public Service as one enterprise. Given the particular conditions that exist with PAWA - the high cost of providing power and the difficulties of supplying essential services to Aboriginal communities - the costs have to be amortised across the whole of government and across the whole ...
Members interjecting.
Mr BURKE: So too the benefits ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: At the end of the day, we believe the 3% wage offer for this year with a 4% increase in the following year is fair and equitable across the whole of the public service, including PAWA. I would say that members opposite are not talking to PAWA workers whom they claim to represent. If they were to talk to them, those workers would tell members opposite that the wage offer is irrelevant as far as they are concerned. In their opinion, they have a very strong argument for a separate EBA. I have tried to explain to them that we can achieve the conditions they want within the single EBA that is being offered. It is a matter of tinkering around with clause 35, which relates to certain work practices in PAWA. We believe we can achieve what they seek within the single EBA. If members opposite were to ask the workers whether the wage offer is inadequate - that is, whether they require a higher wage offer to be made before they will agree - I am sure that the answer would be that that is not the case.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016