PSA Members Welcome Iemma’s Public Service Pledge

The Public Service Association of NSW today welcomed Premier Morris Iemma's commitment to maintain the size of the public service in real terms over the life of the next government.

Mr Iemma signed the PSA pledge just before appearing on stage to address more than 1000 public sector workers at a rally in the Sydney Town Hall this morning.

"Our campaign has made job cuts the key political issue of this state election," said John Cahill, General Secretary of the PSA.

"This commitment from the Iemma Government means there is now a clear choice for voters on March 24."

"On the one hand we have a government committing themselves to maintaining the public sector.

"On the other we have an opposition vowing to cut 20,000 jobs - a move that would devastate the delivery of public services in NSW."

In signing the pledge Mr Iemma has made a commitment to the following principles:

1. Protect the NSW industrial relations system from the Howard Government's Work Choices laws, and vow not to hand over industrial relations powers to Canberra.

2. Commit to essential public services and those workers who provide them, including the retention of frontline support workers. Further, commit to maintain public sector job levels in real terms as at 2006 State Budget levels, including the retention of frontline support workers.

3. Guarantee to protect public sector delivery of services for NSW and the workers providing these services. This must include a commitment to career development opportunities and ensuring public sector jobs provide meaningful careers.

4. Maximise departmental stability and ensure a focus on delivery of services to benefit communities in metropolitan and country NSW.

5. Protect workers affected by workplace change so that all workers maintain meaningful jobs, and through redeployment and reskilling avoid the use of forced redundancy.