The ACT government's lowest-paid staff will receive wage increases of more than 10 per cent a year over three years after agreeing to a new deal that will push their pay from just under $51,000 a year to more than $68,000.
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General service officers voted to endorse the deal at a meeting on Wednesday morning, meaning the government will avoid industrial action taken by its cleaners, gardeners and other trades and technical staff.
The CFMEU ACT branch said the deal would deliver a roughly 10 per cent pay rise each year over the three years of the agreement for the lowest-paid staff, while other bands will receive annual increases of between 8 and 12 per cent.
The deal will deliver the lowest-paid staff a 34 per cent pay increase in that period, taking their pay from $50,925 to $68,266.
The union's secretary, Zach Smith, said the result was a testament to the courage and determination of the ACT's general service officers.
"Without GSOs Canberra would disintegrate into chaos. They do tough and often dirty jobs to make this city liveable for the rest of us. When over 500 of them downed tools and marched on Parliament in December I think that made everyone sit up and take notice," Mr Smith said.
Union members at the rally unanimously endorsed taking industrial action if the government did not deliver adequate pay rises.
"Canberrans take pride in how progressive we are, how inclusive we are, in how we have a society based on equality. Those are all noble aspirations. But it is just talk if you don't walk the walk," Mr Smith told the crowd.
"You cannot call yourself progressive if workers - the same workers that kept this town open, kept us safe during COVID - are sleeping in their cars."
Mr Smith said the endorsement of industrial action was pivotal in achieving a quick and positive outcome.
"I also want to thank the ACT government for being consultative and responsive. When we started this campaign the government was very quick to acknowledge there was a problem and we have appreciated the negotiations we have had with them," he said.
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The deal will put pressure on the ACT government to deliver pay rises for other staff, who are also renegotiating enterprise agreements.
Community and Public Sector Union acting ACT regional secretary Brenton Higgins said the pay rise achieved by general service officers was good news, but all workers needed a pay increase.
"The Chief Minister has moved on decent pay increases for some low-paid public sector workers, but it is vital that he now delivers for the rest of the public service in line with his public commitment to offer pay rises that at least match CPI," Mr Higgins said.
"If Andrew Barr isn't prepared to honour that commitment, then the CPSU has a hard choice to make, which will likely include industrial action.
"If he thinks his job is done when it comes to pay, he is sorely mistaken."
Chief Minister and Labor leader Andrew Barr told his party's annual conference last year the government was committed to raising the wages of the government's lowest-paid staff.
Delegates at the conference also backed a motion calling on the government to deliver above-inflation pay rises for government-employed workers.
Mr Barr on Wednesday said: "Lifting the wages of lower income ACT government employees is one of the most practical measures the government can take to address cost-of-living concerns for these workers and their families."
Inflation grew late last year to an annual rate 7.8 per cent, the highest level since 1990, consumer price index figures released on Wednesday morning showed.
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Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
