Wage freezes back on table

Tasmanian Labor
  • Frontline
    workers deserve thanks, not a wage freeze
  • Austerity not
    the way to reward essential workers
  • Consumer
    confidence needed to lift economy out of recession
  • Thousands
    of Tasmanians face the prospect of wage freezes after the
    Premier today wouldn’t rule it out in Parliament.

    Labor
    Leader Rebecca White said Peter Gutwein’s razor gang is back, with workers
    in its sights.

    “In
    Parliament today the Premer refused to rule out a wage freeze
    for the very workers we relied on to help us through the worst of the
    COVID-19 crisis.

    “Tasmania’s
    health workers, police, cleaners, teachers and park rangers have looked after
    us and kept Tasmania going for the past few months and we owe them a great debt
    of gratitude.

    “But
    despite the Premier’s praise for their crucial work during the pandemic, he is
    now considering freezing their wages.

    “Only
    last year these workers finally won a pay rise that kept up with the cost of
    living, now the Premier is thinking about putting that on ice.

    “As
    economists and even the Premier have noted, consumer confidence and spending
    are essential to lift the economy out of recession.

    “That
    is the reason the State and Federal Governments have rolled out initiatives to
    put money in people’s pockets – hoping they will spend it and support jobs.

    “The
    Liberals’ razor gang has no place in Tasmania’s COVID-19 recovery and I urge
    Peter Gutwein to look to other measures to stimulate the economy and create
    jobs.

    A good place to start is Labor’s COVID-19 Recovery Package, which has been submitted to the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Council, and is designed to get people into jobs, help those hardest hit by the pandemic and create a better, fairer state for everyone.”

    Rebecca White MP

    Labor Leader

    /Public Release. View in full here.