CAMPAIGN INTENSIFIES POST BUDGET - UNIONS DEMAND LONG SERVICE LEAVE BACK

16 June 2011

South Australian unions want a meeting with Premier Mike Rann this week to start discussing the restoration of cuts to public sector workers' long service leave.

SA Unions Secretary, Janet Giles says that while the government backed down on its cuts to holiday leave loading in last week's budget, cuts to long service leave will still come into effect on July 1st.

"Unions met yesterday to discuss the Budget announcements and have unanimously decided to continue campaigning against the cuts to jobs and services and until every working condition is restored."

"People working in the public sector - nurses, teachers, firefighters, administrators, ambulance officers and tens of thousands more - will lose real dollars from their pay packets when these cuts hit on July 1st."

"With these cuts due to come into effect in two weeks, Premier Rann must sit down with unions this week to start talking."

Ms Giles says, Treasurer Jack Snelling has already said publicly that he will not restore the full value of the cuts, but will look at reinstating some of what was taken away from public sector pay packets.

"We will be giving the Premier the clearest message that we are not going to be locked up in discussions for six months when working South Australians will lose money from July 1st."

"We have determined that if by July 1st, the Government has demonstrated it is not genuine about the reinstatement of these entitlements, we will plan for a day of action - including industrial action - later that month on July 29th."

"During the last enterprise agreement, the Government sat down with unions and negotiated working conditions."

"We simply want that agreement to stand - and for the government to restore the cuts it made without any consultation."

Ms Giles says unions have put together a group to negotiate with the Government, with representatives from key public sector unions and they are ready to start talking.