Today’s decision by the union movement to reject the recommendations of the Tasmanian Industrial Commission, the independent umpire, is extremely disappointing.
We are very concerned that the continuing industrial action may have an impact on the most important people involved in our child protection system – the children.
The Government had considered that that there was a strong negotiated way forward with the previously planned commencement tomorrow of independent facilitated workshops aimed at working through the issues.
The Government has kept to all its previous commitments to participate in these workshops and to work proactively with the union, but this has been made extremely difficult with industrial bans in place.
As the unions themselves acknowledge, caseloads have been an issue for 10 years under the former Labor and Labor-Green governments, but it is only now that they are acting as the real Opposition to a Liberal Government that is actually working to address these long-standing issues.
We have initiated a complete redesign of the child protection system because we are committed to providing better outcomes to vulnerable Tasmanian children.
The union movement should stop the political games and get on board.