Ms BURNET question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
Maintenance workers at Saputo’s Burnie factory have been striking for almost nine weeks. They are taking this action because of a significant pay gap with their mainland counterparts, initially 21 per cent but now 23 per cent, because of intractable negotiations with the company that believes paying Tasmanian workers less is okay. This morning, Saputo Burnie workers travelled down to ask for the Tasmanian government’s help. Do you support the Saputo workers’ fight for equal pay with their mainland counterparts? Do you believe Tasmanian workers should be paid less and what will you do to help these vulnerable workers?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the member for her question, along similar lines as the first question from the Leader of the Opposition, so I refer you to my answer there. Again, I acknowledge the workers in the Gallery. We are in a sphere of federal industrial relations laws and I would hope and expect that there can be a resolution to this matter with good-faith negotiations.
Dr Woodruff – We have not seen evidence of that.
The SPEAKER – Thank you, Leader of Greens.
Mr ROCKLIFF – We need good faith on both sides, thank you, Dr Woodruff.
I received many questions – it might have been towards the end of 2022, early 2023 – about wage negotiations for our public service, and I said many times then that we would negotiate in good faith and we led those discussions. For our police, firies, nurses, doctors and teachers, we had those negotiations in good faith and came to a fair and reasonable decision.
Ms BURNET – Point of order, Speaker. Under Standing Order 45, relevance. We are talking about Saputo workers.
The SPEAKER – Premier, it was a very precise question from the Greens today, with very little preamble. I draw the Premier to the question asked by the member for Clark.
Members interjecting.
The SPEAKER – Sorry, who is being helpful on my right and would like to spend time outside? Just checking. Nobody? Excellent.
Mr ROCKLIFF – Thank you, Speaker. My point is that when two opposing parties come together in good-faith negotiations there can be an amicable resolution. As there was, by example, with the Tasmanian government negotiating with various members of the State Service, including industrial union advocates, coming to a fair and reasonable resolution. That is what I expect. I expect that from union representatives and also the company. I will always stand on the position of fairness and equity for our Tasmanian employees and –
Dr Woodruff – They get paid 23 per cent less.
The SPEAKER – Order, the Premier has the call.
Mr ROCKLIFF – My expectation is that with robust industrial relations laws across the nation with the Fair Work Commission, there can be an amicable resolution to this if both parties come and negotiate in good faith.
