Centrelink delegate victimised
By Chris Slee and Jim McIlroy
MELBOURNE — Marcus Banks, a union delegate at the Moreland Centrelink office in suburban Melbourne, faces an investigation and possibly charges under the public service code of conduct for intervening to defend the rights of a union member who was allegedly being harassed by a manager.
Banks is to be disciplined over an incident on February 10 during which he allegedly asked the section manager, in a raised voice, "Would you please stop harassing this union member?". He has already been penalised with a compulsory temporary transfer to the Darebin office until at least March 31.
Banks was representing the union member, who was suffering a work-related stress condition. She had asked Banks to be present whenever Centrelink managers wanted to discuss her return to work plan.
Management had agreed to this, yet on February 10 her section manager chose to ignore the agreement and insisted that she attend a meeting the next day without her union delegate present.
Members of the Community and Public Sector Union at the Moreland office have expressed their support for Banks. The Centrelink delegates' committee for the area has also passed a motion of support; other union bodies are considering similar action.
The response of CPSU assistant state secretary Chris Clarke has been disturbing, however, seeming to be more sympathetic to the manager than to Banks or the member he was representing.