Tax workers suspend bans
By Chris Slee
Community and Public Sector Union members employed by the Australian Taxation Office have voted in favour of the tax division executive's proposal to suspend the bans campaign and to resume it on September 9. Forty per cent of members voted against the recommendation.
Bans were imposed to demand the withdrawal of a plan known as "ATO Business 2000", which includes massive job cuts, forced transfers and attacks on working conditions.
In recommending its motion, the tax division executive argued that management had made some "concessions" such as "agreement to negotiate prior to decisions being made".
The opposition group Members First disagreed. "The concessions offered are not real. Management will consider a 'broader range of scenarios', but only if workers give 'similar or better net savings', which means cutting jobs and working conditions", the group said.
Members First also argued that "Lifting the bans would break the momentum of the campaign".