Stop me if I'm wrong, but for the last 10-15 years, the private sector have been giving themselves inflation-busting pay rises while the public sector for the most part has had to endure lower than inflation rises in order to keep in line with the govt's inflation targets. However, now that the private sector is feeling the squeeze and cutting pay it expects the public sector to do the same. Perhaps the private sector should have shown a little more restraint when times were good.
Maybe if AFPRB 39th report reflects the current inflation rate (3.5%) as it has always claimed to do in the past the public sector may start to close the gap that has opened up between private and public salaries over the last 15 years.
Then again, when has this govt ever stood up for anything? We'll see 1.5% if we're lucky in order to placate the private sector.