Unions are accusing Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan of punishing the public sector by slashing pay rises, despite previously promising to give the new state government a "fair go" when funding cuts to the public service were announced, .
The Labor government will introduce legislation to freeze the pay of the best paid public servants, including politicians for the next four years by taking power away from the Independent Salaries and Allowances Tribunal.
Public sector wage increases that were previously capped at 1.5 per cent will be replaced with a $1000 per year pay rise limit for all public sector employees, which would be pro rata for part time and casual staff.
Mr McGowan said the new public sector wages policy would save about $500 million from government spending and would be indefinite, warning that if the Industrial Relations Commission did not accept the $1000 flat rate he would consider an across the board pay freeze for public servants.
Mr McGowan said the pay freeze would ensure the burden of the state's debt - tipped to reach debt of $41 billion - would be on those who could afford it.
UnionsWA said that while some lower paid workers will be better off, anyone earning more than $70,000 will be worse off with expected pay rises slashed while public servents already face job insecurity and increased workloads.
The State School Teachers Union will seek to urgently speak with the McGowan government and the WA Police Union say most of their members will be worse off from the disappointing, "draconian policy".
Mr McGowan said he will seek to freeze the wages of all politicians, senior bureaucrats, judges, politicians, and local government chief executives across the state for four years, which would save $20 million.
It would also include his own salary of $355,681.
Opposition leader Mike Nahan, who was Treasurer until the March election, said the savings measures were not the previous government's fault and Mr McGowan was doing it to fund his $5 billion of election commitments.
Community and Public Sector WA secretary Tony Walkington said the wages policy had to include clauses on job security and the privatisation of government services, otherwise union members would find it hard to accept.
The WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry said public service wages made up 45 per cent of general government sector expenses, and the new policies were a strong step forward to fixing the budget.
