The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) on October 13 gained Fair Work Australia authorisation for a ballot of members on protected industrial action in support of a fairer agreement in the federal Department of Human Services. The electronic ballot will start in late October for the 15,000 CPSU members in Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support.
The union is urging a yes vote for action in protest at an offer from DHS management which "seeks to cut pay and conditions, and remove important rights for more than 30,000 staff. Industrial action could range from work bans and stoppages to strikes and other campaign activities."
CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said on October 14: "DHS staff are under attack by this government. They are being asked to accept a deal that would strip away important rights, make it easier for staff to be made redundant and remove protections around their super, all for a pay offer that is way below the cost of living. This is one of the ugliest deals we have ever seen, and workers are taking a stand.
"Human Services is one of more than 70 Commonwealth agencies unable to make a deal. Why? Because of the Abbott government's harsh bargaining position. Public Service Minister Eric Abetz is forcing agencies to strip conditions from workplace agreements and cut workplace rights in exchange for pay offers of between 0 and 1 per cent a year.
"DHS members are prepared to take action to make the government and DHS change their harsh and aggressive bargaining position. Industrial action is not our preference, it is a last resort.
"DHS continues to tell us that they can't offer staff anything other than cuts to rights and conditions. Meanwhile, Minister Abetz is refusing to acknowledge his bargaining position is unworkable and won't even meet with us.
"This government's nasty attack on workers' rights is bad for staff and bad for the millions of Australians who rely on these services. Any industrial action is designed to send a message to the government and DHS that they need to come up with a sensible deal so staff can get on with the job of serving our community," Flood said.
The current workplace agreements for 165,000 public servants in more than 100 Commonwealth agencies expired on June 30, and bargaining negotiations are currently under way in around 70 agencies. No agency has been able to present a reasonable deal to staff, because of the government's aggressive bargaining position.
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