Hundreds of public sector workers have marched through Sydney's CBD as part of a 24-hour strike over the NSW government's wage offer.
Employees from the ministries of health, education, justice, transport and customer service decided to proceed with industrial action after their union rejected the state government's offer of a 3 per cent wage increase, which was announced by Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier this week.
Mr Perrottet on Monday also revealed frontline health workers in NSW would be given a one-off $3,000 "appreciation " payment, as an acknowledgement of their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Service Association (PSA) general secretary Stewart Little said other public servants should be getting the payment, too.
"We're not just unhappy, we're very, very angry," Mr Little said.
"And we're not the only ones that are angry ... the police, the teachers, the firefighters, I think you'll find that they're unhappy.
"Why are we being treated differently? Why don't we have a fair and independent industrial umpire set wages instead of politicians?"
Mr Little said he supported a bonus payment for healthcare workers but argued that thousands of public sector employees who had worked on the frontline during bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic had been overlooked.
"Why aren't we receiving the same treatment as those other frontline workers?," he said.
"I'll tell you why; because Mr Perrottet does not have a plan when it comes to inflation or the cost of living.
"We hear about interest rates going up, prices going up, electricity going up. Everything's up except one thing — our wages."
Mr Perrottet ruled out extending the "appreciation" payment to other public sector employees today.
"I accept and appreciate Labor and the union bosses today are out there standing up for their members," Mr Perrottet said.
"My job as premier is to stand up for my members — that's the 8 million people across our state.
A large crowd marched down Sydney's Macquarie Street and gathered outside State Parliament today to make their voice heard.
Many of them held placards and chanted "strike the cap" — a reference to the NSW government's public sector wage cap which this week was lifted from 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent.
The union said a wage increase of at least 5.2 per cent was required.
Public servants are also holding rallies in major regional centres like Newcastle, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga.
