Western Australia's public servants have been warned not to expect a pay rise until the state's finances and economy recover, as the majority of workers prepare to thrash out new wage deals.
Premier Colin Barnett said he believed unions representing major public sector groups would behave responsibly in negotiating employment agreements, with 70 per cent of workers due to strike deals before June next year.
The Community and Public Sector Union, however, has strongly criticised the WA government's revised pay rise cap of 1.5 per cent, in line with falling inflation figures, setting the scene for major industrial strife with police, nurses, teachers and others before next year's state election.
Mr Barnett said the government did not have any money for pay rises.
"While public sector unions are not happy, I think they will behave responsibly," he told reporters.
"In this climate, your job security and maintaining wages is important.
"In much of the private sector, particularly the mining industry and mining services, a lot of people lost their jobs with the downturn in commodity prices and are seeing salaries cut by 20 to 30 per cent while the public sector has maintained job security and the real value of wages.
The government is in the middle of a six-month public service recruitment freeze that it imposed after its budget deficit - the first in 15 years - blew out to $3.1 billion.
The end of the mining boom and the state's GST share have been blamed for WA's financial woes, which it is partly tackling through spending cuts and trying to privatise assets.
WA's teachers, nurses and other public servants are the best paid in the country, Mr Barnett says.
However Perth is also by far Australia's most expensive city for goods such as food and clothing, according to the Numbeo website.
CPSU state secretary Toni Walkington said members should not accept a wage deal that reduces the real value of their pay.
