26 October 2009
The Chief Minister says he is open to mediation and willing to negotiate a 2 year deal with any of the public sector pay groups. Senator Terry Le Sueur has already agreed to a request from the teachers to go to mediation, and he is prepared to do the same with all the pay groups.
Senator Le Sueur has also made a formal offer to open negotiations for a 2 year deal, with the option of bringing the implementation date forward from June 2010 to January. He has made it clear though, that any 2 year deal would have to remain within the amount allocated for pay in the 2010 Business Plan.
Senator Le Sueur says: “We very much regret the need for a pay freeze, as we appreciate the hard work of our staff, many of whom do some of the most demanding jobs in our society and deliver excellent public services. But in government we have to make difficult choices, and our main priority all along has been to avoid redundancies and job cuts as that is what the unions identified as their members’ main concern.
“It is my job as Chief Minister to consider the needs of all Islanders, and at a time when private sector jobs are being frozen or cut, a pay rise for States staff is not viable. It would ultimately be funded by tax payers, some of whose own jobs are at risk. We should not disadvantage one section of our community to benefit another.”
Senator Le Sueur hopes all parties can now work on agreeing pay awards from June 2010, with the option of bringing forward the implementation date from June to January, and with the invitation to go to mediation if pay groups think that will help with the progress of negotiations.
A meeting has been scheduled later this week between Union and States Employment Board representatives to pursue these and other options.
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