THE pay dispute between the Bureau of Meteorology staff and executive teams has raised its head again, with a message posted on the Perth forecast page.
The dispute initially surfaced last month when messages began appearing on the Bureau’s website.
The messages referred to a five-year pay freeze that Bureau staff had reportedly been forced to endure.
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READ NOWToday’s message referred to that five-year freeze again, but appeared to be an officially sanctioned message from Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood.
“Bureau staff have been fighting for years to hold onto the conditions we have, but they are under attack,” the message said.
“The executive and the government want to see Bureau staff go backwards.
“This five-year pay freeze – while we defend our allowances and conditions – is hurting us and hurting our families.
“We love the work we do, we know you value it too.
“Please support us to get a fair deal.”
A Bureau spokesman said last month that the new proposed agreement provided a substantially front-loaded pay increase, protected core conditions, was financially sustainable and complied with the Government’s Workplace Bargaining Policy.
The spokesman said it respected the rights of its workers to take protected industrial action.
“The Bureau has a responsibility to ensure that its products and services, including its forecasts and warnings, are not compromised,” he said.
“The Bureau is putting various measures in place to meet that responsibility and to maintain the standard of its products and services.”