City of Albany staff have rejected a 6 per cent pay increase. 

City of Albany staff have voted on a proposed Enterprise Agreement (EA), with 63.2 per cent rejecting the proposed pay rise, which would have amounted to a 6 per cent rise in the first year and 2.5 per cent in the following year.

The WA council had proposed removing a clause that linked pay to the Consumer Price Index due to rising inflation, which the Australian Services Union (ASU) strongly rejected.

The ASU is now pushing for the council to agree to a 7.6 per cent pay rise for staff in the EA's first year inline with CPI.

“There are concerns about the first year's pay increase, and the removal of the 'safety net' wording from the pay increase clause of the Enterprise Agreement,” Australian Services Union WA assistant branch secretary Jill Hugo said.

“The pay increase on offer in the first year is below CPI, and for workers, a minimum CPI pay increase merely keeps their budgets being able to continue to afford their mortgage, rent, bills, fuel and groceries.

“It is not a pay increase.”

City of Albany chief executive Andrew Sharpe said the council had to provide an affordable and sustainable pay rise.

“The vote really came down to the pay rise and what the City could afford to pay staff,” he said.

“Wages are always a key point of these negotiations and the City wanted to give staff a pay rise that was fair to them, but also fair to the community.”

Negotiations between the City and Union are ongoing.