More public servants have voted against proposed enterprise agreements put forward by the management of various federal government agencies.
Places where staff have voted “no” include the departments of agriculture, fisheries and forestry; immigration and citizenship; defence; and customs.
Staff in the Australian Taxation Office, the Productivity Commission, Comcare, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and the Attorney Generals Department have also voted no.
Workers are unhappy with the 3% a year limit on pay rises — less than the expected rise in the cost of living.
This limit does not apply to senior executives who have been getting much bigger rises. Other issues include attacks on a range of conditions including personal leave and job security.
Under the government's policy of agency bargaining, enterprise agreements are being negotiated separately in each agency. But the government's 3% pay rise limit applies across the board.
The Community and Public Sector Union is campaigning for a real wage rise for all workers, with extra rises for those in the lower paid agencies — usually those with large numbers of women and/or Indigenous workers.