The ACT government is considering a larger pay increase for territory public servants on low wages as it tries to reach an agreement with public service unions.
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The government is expected to make a new pay offer by Friday in an effort to end a weeks-long dispute over the 2 per cent pay rise that public servants have refused.
Unions have deemed the offer a pay cut in real terms, with some applying to take protected industrial action against the proposal.
But the Community and Public Sector Union said on Tuesday that it was confident that workers would receive a significantly improved offer from the government.
The government is considering options including a larger pay increase for workers on low salaries than those on high ones.
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said the government might also make two smaller pay increases in the space of a year, rather than one large pay increase.
CPSU ACT secretary Vince McDevitt said one of the models the government had discussed was a flat dollar increase for all workers, rather than an increase calculated as a percentage of their salary.
That option would deliver a larger pay rise for low-paid workers.
''Assuming what's put to us in writing reflects what the Treasurer has been talking about, we have confidence that the offer will be a significant improvement on what we've been opposing to date,'' Mr McDevitt said. ''The other thing that gives me some comfort is that we're locking in a deal which will see no loss of conditions."
He said there would also be no job losses as a result of a new offer.
''The members will decide if any new offer is acceptable to them.''
Ms Gallagher said she hoped the government could make an offer by Friday that would avoid industrial action. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is among the unions that have applied for protected action after refusing the 2 per cent pay rise.
''My sense is that the unions want to reach agreement,'' Ms Gallagher said. ''They would prefer to reach agreement with the government rather than embark on industrial action and that would be our preference as well … But time will tell.
''We can't be financially irresponsible either with the pressure our budget's under so I think we'll know more later this week about whether that offer might be more palatable to the unions and if we can go ahead with that.''