Tax staff reject pay offer
BY CHRIS SLEEAustralian Tax Office staff have narrowly rejected a new agency agreement proposed by management. Their union described the offer as inadequate and paltry.
ATO management offered a pay rise of 4% per year, but this was conditional on meeting a range of targets relating to revenue collection, service standards, professionalism (as measured by surveys of taxpayers), and successful implementation of the GST.
The Community and Public Sector Union rejected the offer, demanding instead an unconditional pay rise of 8% per year. The Australian Services Union, which has a small number of members in the tax office, supported the deal and help management sell it; the ASU has lost some members as a result, who resigned in disgust at its divisive tactics.
The CPSU campaigned for a no vote using posters, stickers, leaflets and email. CPSU members attached balloons with the words vote no printed on them to their workstations, but these were removed by management.
The voting was very close, with 50.4% rejecting management's offer. Management entrusted the conduct of the electronic ballot to a private company, Price Waterhouse Coopers. The CPSU had requested that the Australian Electoral Commission run it.
The vote was supposed to occur on June 5-7. However, a management blunder resulted in staff of the Child Support Agency being able to vote, even though they were not entitled to do so. Voting had to begin again, taking place from June 7-9.
Following the no vote the CPSU has written to tax commissioner Michael Carmody asking for a better offer. The union's tax section council has decided that, if a better offer is not forthcoming, membership meetings will be called to discuss further industrial action, including a strike on July 3.