workers deserve thanks, not a wage freeze
the way to reward essential workers
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 , 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
