• The Australian
• 12:00AM May 24, 2018

Electorate officers working for Victorian MPs have won a pay deal that promises above-inflation wage rises, a $1500 sign-on bonus and up to 48 weeks’ termination pay if their boss is voted out or retires.

The officers will be covered by a new enterprise bargaining agreement with wage increases of 11.5 per cent over the next three years, a 4 per cent overtime loading and holiday leave loading of 17.5 per cent. The deal ­includes taxpayer-funded childcare if electorate ­officers are required to work at short notice, the potential to work from home and 20 days of domestic violence leave — twice the amount Bill Shorten has promised if he wins the next election.

With the Labor government’s wages bill to jump 11.2 per cent next ­financial year to more than $25.5 billion, Institute of Public Affairs policy director Simon Breheny described the agreement as “the kind of public sector pay deal that makes hardworking taxpayers angry, knowing they are the ones that foot the bill”.

Under the agreement, electorate officers who have worked for an MP for more than seven years will be entitled to 14 weeks’ termination pay if the MP leaves parliament. Long-serving staff will also ­receive an additional two weeks’ salary for each ­additional year worked, up to a maximum of 48 weeks’ pay. Exiting officers will receive $750 for counselling, retraining and ­financial advice.

The deal required the ­Andrews government to find an extra $900,000 in the budget to supplement the total cost of the agreement, which has now reached more than $5 million over the coming three years.

Staff with drug, ­alcohol or gambling addictions can claim up to eight weeks’ paid leave.

And indigenous officers will get up to three days’ paid leave to attend traditional ceremonies.

Legislative Council president Bruce Atkinson, who confirmed the deal would come into operation tomorrow, said: “The new EBA was finalised after ­additional funding was assured by the government for increased wages above a 2.5 per cent threshold which the parliament was ­initially required to keep within. The presiding officers … took into account the unique working practices of electorate offices and, among other matters, OHS requirements and job security.”

The officers have a three-tier pay structure, ranging from a base salary of $62,806 to $90,148. By July 2020 the lowest-paid ­officer will receive an annual base salary of $68,161 and the highest paid will receive an ­annual base salary of $97,835.

When asked about the basis for the jump in pay, Mr Atkinson said electorate officers said their workloads had increased, their jobs were more complex and they were performing more overtime.

He said social media and the requirement or perception that MPs had to be in almost constant contact with their constituents had added to workloads.

While some MPs slammed the Andrews government for its largesse, others said eight independent bargaining agents — some employed by Coalition MPs — were involved in the negotiations as well as public sector union officials.

CPSU secretary Karen Batt said: “I believe that the negotiations for a new EBA … have resulted in some important gains.”