Unions on hunt for big payday from Labor

Victorians now look set to pay the price for Daniel Andrews’ union support in last year’s state election, as today’s Herald Sun reports.

The deal Daniel Andrews made with the paramedics has set the benchmark that every other union is lining up to demand for their members.

Workers are entitled to fair and reasonable pay rises for the work they do, but these wage and condition demands represent potentially hundreds of millions of dollars that will ultimately come out of schools and hospitals across Victoria or be paid for by tax slugs on ordinary Victorians.

The Liberal-Nationals Coalition government’s policy was for a guideline wage increase of 2.5% per annum per cent plus genuine productivity savings. Deals under that policy were successfully negotiated with police, nurses, teachers, public servants and many others.

However, it Labor gives in to huge wage demands as the price for union support at last year’s election, that will be money that’s not available for service improvements or infrastructure, or money that will have to be recovered through higher taxes.

 For the full Herald Sun report, see Unions on hunt for big payday.