QCU calls for wage consistency

Date: 08 April 2004

The Queensland Council of Unions has questioned the fairness of handing generous wage increases of up to 8.5% to tribunal members and the judiciary when ordinary workers are lucky to receive half this amount.

The Queensland Council of Unions has questioned the fairness of the government handing generous wage increases of up to 8.5% to members of tribunals and the judiciary when ordinary workers are lucky to receive half this amount.

Unions are concerned at the recent awarding of the 8.5% increase to Queensland judges and tribunal members when ABS statistics for the previous 12 months reveal that ordinary workers received an average 3.9% wage adjustment.

QCU General Secretary Grace Grace said the union movement did not begrudge wage increases for any section of the workforce.

"We question the approach taken by the Salaries and Allowances Tribunal when determining wage increases as compared to the rigorous process workers have to undertake when bargaining for wage increases.

"We find it incredible that workers struggling to make ends meet are begrudgingly awarded their increases when others at the higher end of the wage scale can end up with double these rates.

"During the bargaining process efficiency and productivity measures are up for negotiation between employers and employees and it is quite normal for workers to have to change hard-fought conditions in the process in order to gain a wage increase.

"The Government does not require tribunal members and members of the judiciary to undertake any such process before increasing their salaries.

"We would be more than happy for the same Tribunal to be as generous with handing out increases to ordinary workers and to not have to go through the usual bargaining process."

Ms Grace also noted that members of the State Industrial Relations Commission would also receive the 8.5% increase.

"Members of the Commission are the decision makers when it comes to determining the quantum of state wage case increases on an annual basis and the last such increase decided by this tribunal was just 3.9% at the trade level.

"The State Government should treat all Queensland workers in the same manner and the QCU notes with some concern that thousands of state public servants received an annual increase of 3.5% per annum after a hard-fought bargaining process. This same government then awards a different set of workers 8.5%.

"The QCU is concerned about the lack of consistency displayed on this matter and we question a system that can produce such a result.

"Ordinary workers already have to put up with watching CEOs of large corporations award themselves wage increases beyond the dreams of most Queensland workers."

For further information

Contact:	Tania Reeves
Union:	Queensland Council of Unions
Phone:	07 3846 2468
Email:	Taniar@qcu.asn.au
WWW:	http://www.qcu.asn.au

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