“We were seeking a meeting to discuss with the Treasurer why he is offering an increase of only 44 cents an hour and why he won’t rule out privatising the work being carried out by cleaning staff, but his attitude remains the same,” said Mr Edmundson.

“The outcome of the meeting with Mr Buswell was disappointing. He didn’t answer many of the questions and the members felt brushed off.

“Mr Buswell said that the Government had not made a decision yet on the issue of privatising school cleaning.

“The Government is sticking to its public service wage policy, which allows for 2.5 per cent increases for the first two years and three per cent in the third.

“It would like to see the matter resolved in the Industrial Commission, but we would prefer to negotiate in good faith.

“We are being forced into industrial action.”

Mr Buswell agreed to the meeting, in his capacity as Member for Vasse, after about 15 support workers from schools in the Busselton and Dunsborough areas staged a protest outside his electorate office last Wednesday.

Mr Edmundson said that union meetings in Perth and Bunbury had endorsed industrial action in the current standoff over a revised pay deal for the support workers.

“We want to negotiate with the Government in good faith over the log of claims we submitted three months ago,” Mr Edmundson said.

“But all 35 items raised by us were rejected by the Government, and they don’t want to debate the issue.”

Mr Edmundson said that the school support staff, which included about 200 people in the Busselton and Dunsborough areas, were the lowest paid workers in the public service, and were feeling angry about the reception they were getting from the Government.

From this week the workers introduced work bans, working to rule and had not ruled out stoppages.

A spokesman for Mr Buswell issued the following statement with respect to the meeting: “Last Wednesday Busselton members of the LHMU demanded a meeting with Mr Buswell, who was in Bunbury attending the regional sitting of Parliament.

“A meeting was promptly scheduled and Mr Buswell met with 12 members of the LHMU in his electorate office, in his capacity as Member for Vasse last Saturday.

“The duration of the meeting was approximately 50 minutes, in which time Mr Buswell listened to the views of the representatives in attendance.”