Public Sector Enterprise Agreement

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:09): But wait, there's more. I seek leave to ask a question of the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector on the topic of EB25 and striking public sector workers. I also seek leave to make a brief explanation first.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: This was coming anyway.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Today, on the steps, and earlier this week in both Port Augusta and the City of Adelaide, public sector workers in South Australia have taken stop-work action. They have done so because they are now far behind what they should be being paid due to a previous EB, and are currently in negotiations with this government for a fair wage for a fair day's work.

Reports have been made that labour hire companies are increasingly being used to do essential public sector work. Other reports have told us that because public sector workers are now so low paid they are accessing services such as Foodbank simply to put food on the table and get through. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will the government ensure that we do not use labour hire services in this state to do essential public sector work?

2. When can these workers expect not to have to resort to services such as Foodbank as they provide our state with the essential services that we all need?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Deputy Premier, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for her question. In relation to the first part of the question and use of labour hire, I know it certainly is a preference, where possible, to use ongoing full-time employees in most circumstances. I know that in some areas, where it's necessary, given it is still and has been for some time a very tight labour market, that may be required,

In relation to public sector bargaining, as I have said in response to questions in relation to various unions who represent public sector workers, we are in negotiations, genuine and bona fide negotiations, with a number of public sector unions. We have seen a number of enterprise agreements settled this year, I think with allied health professionals in our public health system, and also with salaried medical officers who are public sector doctors.

In recent months both of them have been in the range, on average, of 3 per cent to 3½ per cent wage increases a year. That has seen real wage increases for these workers, and I know that was a function that was not the case under the previous Liberal government, under the then industrial relations minister, the Hon. Rob Lucas, that did, in fact, see in some areas real wage decreases.

When an industrial agreement has been reached, with the members voting for that industrial agreement with the government, that is not something that we, as the new government, can fix what has happened in the past, but certainly we have been pleased with those couple of public sector health agreements—the allied health professionals and the salaried medical officers—in coming to an agreement with workers in those fields for real wage increases, and we will look to continue to do that.