It's only a few days now to Christmas and one week after that 50,000 state government employees have no new enterprise agreement as bargaining talks stall. 

It's not the Christmas present anyone one of us was hoping to receive with thoughts now turning to planning the disruption of government services instead of the continued implementation of a progressive policy agenda just because the government wants to impose a 2% wage cap and refuses to talk anything else despite their own windfall pay gains.

The Agreement's expiring include;

Our members in the two older private prisons are nearing the expiry of their Agreements as well.

Our traffic camera operators employed by contractor Serco are out of Agreement and bargaining is underway and form will probably show another intransigent sub standard offer and a fair pay campaign there.

https://youtu.be/6Yn8R0uRthM

Twas right before Christmas
when all through the state
Government workers were dreaming
of a rise in pay rate.
Santa would love to deliver their increase with care
But with the government’s 2% cap,
he just wouldn’t dare!
Child protection,
fisheries,
forensics
and rangers put up a clatter
2% won’t keep up with inflation for that matter!
We wouldn’t bother to put up our stockings this year
We’ll have little to spend in the shops to spread cheer.
The economy that was growing
and looking so jolly
Will fumble and falter,
with this unfair wage folly!
Tell the Premier not to be such a Scrooge
Tell him to scrap this cap
for a rise - not too huge
Strong wages will be Victoria’s greatest gift
To give workers and our economy a lift.
Tell the Premier to pay his workers fairly. It’s the right thing to do for a Happy New Year