UNIONS BACK PSA LEGAL CHALLENGE TO BUDGET CUTS

14 February 2011

Major South Australian unions will be showing their support today for the Public Service Association, which is mounting a Supreme Court challenge to the State Government's cuts to people's entitlements.

SA Unions Secretary Janet Giles says the way the State Government cut the long service and leave loading entitlements of people working in the government set a dangerous precedent.

"These workers are nurses, firefighters, police officers, teachers, ambulance officers and tens of thousands of others who do important work every day for the South Australian community."

"South Australian unions have always been willing to sit around the table with governments, and negotiate what is best for workers and employers."

"In fact, unions do this every time an enterprise bargaining agreement is up for renewal."

"But the Rann government snuck around behind the backs of one hundred thousand working South Australians and legislated to attack their working conditions."

"This deserves to be challenged in the courts."

Unions and their members will be outside the Supreme Court on Monday 14th February where the Full Bench of the Supreme Court will hear the PSA case.