Release of the APS Remuneration Report 2014

The acting Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced that the APS Remuneration Report 2014 had been released by the Australian Public Service Commission. The report provides a snapshot of remuneration arrangements in Australian Public Service agencies as at 31 December 2014.

The report indicates that between the period 31 December 2013 and 31 December 2014:

• base salary for Senior Executive Service employees increased by 0.2%
• base salary for non-Senior Executive Service employees increased by 0.1%
• average movement in Total Remuneration Package across all classifications was 0.6%
• overall movement in Total Reward across all classifications was 0.3%

Mr Pyne said the Community and Public Sector Union should stop standing between Public Servants and the responsible wage rises currently on offer.

“Department of Human Services employees have missed out on millions of dollars in pay as a result of the CPSU blocking an offer of 1.5 per cent + 1.5 per cent + .55 per cent over 3 years, which, if it had been accepted, would have commenced in August 2014,” Mr Pyne said.

“The CPI since then, in the December 14 and March 15 quarters, was 0.8 per cent annualised and the Employee Living Cost index 0.2 per cent annualised, so on any measure DHS employees would have been well ahead of inflation had the CPSU not blocked this offer being put to staff.

“DHS represents over 22 per cent of all APS employees, so this is 22 per cent of the Public Service that the CPSU has prevented from getting wage rises well in excess of current inflation.”

Mr Pyne said that 91 APS agencies covering over 99 per cent of APS employees were currently bargaining, but union campaigns were delaying public servants receiving further wage increases.

“Even with the relatively low increases in APS remuneration in 2014, over the last decade APS median wage rises still totalled around 45 per cent, compared to just over 40 per cent in the private sector, while CPI and the Employee Living Cost Index rose by just over 30 per cent,” Mr Pyne said.

“However, in the current low inflation environment the Community and Public Sector Union continues to pursue its absurd claim for a 12 per cent wage increase, which is totally out of touch with Australia’s current economic circumstances.

“Unlike the union, Australian Public Service employees understand that the Government needs to live within its means. To agree to the CPSU’s claims would result in 10,000 job losses across the sector.”