Following SITREP 21, Wednesday’s Code Red and a further IRC hearing this morning, permanent members are now expected to receive the first 2.27% increase due under the 2014 Award next Thursday, backdated to 21 February. The table below shows the gross (pre-tax) amounts payable by rank, but does not include any allowances (including kms) which have also been increased by 2.27% and backdated to 21 February. In other words, any member who received any allowance and/or overtime between 21 February and 25 June should receive more than the backpay amount contained in the table contained in the print version of this SITREP below, or by clicking here.
Why 2.27% and not 2.5%? Thank the Baird Government for it’s decision to discount the expected 2.5% wage increase by 0.23% to offset this year’s 0.25% increase in employers’ super contributions. As reported in SITREP 20, this remains the subject of a High Court appeal by NSW unions (including the FBEU) which, if successful, will result in further backpay to bring the 2.27% increase back up to 2.5%.
NSW Budget – the Coalition hates you
The Baird Government’s 2014/15 budget propaganda claimed 2,800 more nurses, 550 more police, 205 more ambulance paramedics and 4,000 more “emergency service volunteers” since the March 2011 election. And nothing about firefighters. The best the Government could manage for FRNSW was to re-announce some one-off crumbs for new appliances and station renovations. Wow.
There was no mention in the budget papers of the Government’s cuts to FRNSW staff numbers (45 and counting on their own figures) or their 4,700 TOLing station closures over the same period. If only that’s where it stopped. This week’s budget estimates couldn’t be clearer that more job cuts are on the way, with the 1.2% increase allocated for 2014/15 employee-related expenses obviously well short of the 2.5% required to fund known increases in wages and superannuation. Roll on the March 2015 election.
Jim Casey
State Secretary
For a printable version of this SITREP click here.
Inside this issue: