Through mass mobilisation and solidarity, 2,000 United Workers Union members and other public sector workers broke through years of wage suppression, forcing both the Western Australia and Northern governments to abandon their wage restraint policies and deliver real pay increases in 2022.
In a powerful demonstration of collective strength, 2,000 public sector workers, led by United Workers Union and other unions in the Public Sector Alliance, marched to the steps of WA State Parliament demanding fair wages amidst soaring living costs. This worker action successfully smashed through the government’s restrictive $1,000 wages cap policy that had suppressed public sector wages since 2017.
Through coordinated industrial action and mass mobilisation, workers forced the government to abandon its austerity agenda and deliver a 5% wage increase – the first real wage growth public sector workers had seen in years. This historic rally, the largest United Workers Union had mounted since its formation, proved that when workers unite and fight back together, they can defeat even entrenched government wage suppression policies.
At the same time in the Northern Territory, our members were taking their own stand against wage suppression. Through various forms of protest and strike action over the course of the year, Northern Territory workers forced their government to remove a wage freeze that had been pushing living standards backwards. The victory paved the way for genuine negotiations to deliver positive outcomes for Territory workers
The victory set a powerful precedent for public sector workers across Australia, showing that collective action can overcome wage caps and austerity measures. Most importantly, it demonstrated that when workers stand together in solidarity, they win.