The Treasurer Peter Gutwein has not rejected the allegation that his public sector pay cuts will cost a first year teacher who has trained for five years $23 000 over the next three years, and $45 000 over ten years, due to the additional freeze on automatic pay increments.
“Not only was the Treasurer unable to quantify the impact of his public sector wage cut on a first year teacher, but he has seemingly done no modelling on the impact of his cuts on any public servant,” said Greens Education spokesperson Nick McKim MP.
“Is the Treasurer seriously suggesting that he has no idea how much his public sector pay cuts will cost individual public servants, or is he hiding the truth from the Tasmanian people?”
“The Greens believe that the real pay cut combined with the freeze on agreed pay increments will cost a first year teacher who has trained for five years over 35% of their current annual salary in the first three years, and about 72% of their current annual salary over ten years.”
“This will discourage the best people from entering the profession, and result in more young Tasmanians leaving Tasmania.”
“The government has no mandate for these cuts, no mandate to over-ride the Tasmanian Industrial Commission, and no idea of the human impact of his cuts,” Mr McKim said.
