00:02On the doorstep of power in the ACT, Territory public servants made their voices heard, loud and clear.
00:09What do we want? When do we want? Now!
00:13This is the first time since self-government that we have seen strike action of this magnitude.
00:18Hospital, construction and youth workers and for the first time correctional officers from Canberra's jail went on strike for two
00:26hours with one clear message.
00:28The ACT government's current 3% a year pay offer isn't enough.
00:33I'm here today because our wages are simply not keeping up with cost of living.
00:36Mr Barr, essentially you're our Chief Minister, your staff that fall underneath you, you need to listen.
00:41I'm angry that we've reached this point and people have had to take this drastic action.
00:46The government's offer includes cost of living payments linked to inflation.
00:50But unions have been calling for a pay rise of 5% in the first year and then 4%
00:54and 3% in the years that follow.
00:56The Public Service Minister standing firm.
00:59We are very much in solidarity with the union movement.
01:04But we also have a responsibility to the rest of Canberra to ensure that we manage our budget appropriately.
01:11And so this is about negotiating a fair offer.
01:14Workers will continue making it clear that unless a pay offer goes up, they will come back, they will take
01:20more industrial action.
01:21It won't be two hours next time, it'll be more.
01:24Delays at the bargaining table come at a cost.
