Public servants feel wage squeeze

Federal public service wages have been squeezed over the past year with pay rises about one-sixth the rate of inflation.

But acting Employment Minister Christopher Pyne has placed the blame squarely with the public sector union for standing between bureaucrats and "responsible wage rises on offer" with 91 agencies covering nearly all commonwealth public servants negotiating new deals.

The wages of senior executives rose by 0.2 per cent in 2014 while the overall pay across all levels lifted by 0.3 per cent, compared to the 1.7 per cent rise in the consumer price index.