Thousands of Tasmanian public sector workers strike against government's pay offer

Thousands of public sector workers took to the streets and marched through Hobart to Parliament House to protest against the government's final pay offer to workers.

Public servants have been offered a 3.5 per cent pay increase for the first year of a new enterprise bargaining agreement, 3 per cent for the second year, and 3 per cent in the third year.

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There is also the offer of $2500 in pro rata bonus payments broken up over the three years of the agreement.

Employees under band three salaries will receive additional payments.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff has previously said employees would effectively receive an increase between 4 per cent to 7.8 per cent when taking into account percentage increases and one-off payments.

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Mr Rockliff in Parliament on Wednesday said wage increases at the Hobart consumer price index of 8.6 per cent was 6.1 per cent over the current budget allocation.

"That would conservatively cost the budget some $2.4 billion, I'm advised, over the budget forward estimates and that would fuel inflation," he said.

Addressing the hoards gathered outside Parliament House during the afternoon, Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said there was a deep and growing crisis in the state's public sector.

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"We are here because there are vacancies we cannot fill," she said. "There are public servants leaving Tasmania to get better pay and conditions elsewhere.

"The cost of living is smashing all of us and we don't deserve to be paid less than mainlanders just because we live in Tasmania."

Speaking after the rally, Ms Munday said decisions on future actions had not been made as unions were hopeful Wednesday's protests would prompt a revised offer.

"Members unanimously passed a motion at the meeting to continue their campaigns until the Premier addresses their issues," she said.

"They said clearly that industrial action was a last resort and they don't want to take it, but they will if they are forced to.

Labor leader Rebecca White said concerns from public sector workers were not just based on wages, but conditions.

"Wages is one component of what all of these unions and workers are bargaining to see improve, but it's also about the work environment they operate in," she said.

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