About 98.7 per cent of United Workers Union members have voted to accept two agreements offered by the State Government.
The more than 16,000 employees covered by the agreements — education assistants, cleaners and gardeners mainly employed by the Department of Education — are now to receive a $60 per week increase from 1 January 2023.
In addition the Department will be administering one-off cost of living payments of up to $3,000 in the coming weeks, with employees to receive their payment before Christmas.
Minister for Industrial Relations, Bill Johnston said the replacement agreement for education assistants introduced several new and improved conditions of employment.
These included a new classification for employees providing support to special needs students in Education Support Centres and Education Support Schools, and an allowance for employees with a recognised Auslan qualification.
“Cleaners and gardeners have secured further enhancements to employment conditions and greater workplace flexibilities,” Mr Johnston said.
“Agreement from these groups takes the total number of public sector employees who have accepted the State Government’s public sector wages policy to over 79,000.”
He said he looked forward to securing more negotiated settlements before Christmas.
“Under this policy, a Level One cleaner, whose annual salary is $52,490, will receive the equivalent of an 11.68 per cent increase in the first year, inclusive of the one-off cost-of-living payment,” the Minister said.
