Corporate Culture: Abbott Government Threats and Agression

The federal opposition has weighed into the fight over wages and conditions at the Commonwealth’s biggest department, with Labor accusing the government of “aggressive” tactics. The Department of Human Services’ 30,000 public servants have been offered just 1.15 per cent a year, which will be slashed to about 0.75 per cent annual pay rise if they do not sign up by a September 1 deadline. The offer is also conditional on about $250 million of wages increases, working hours and annual leave being traded away and DHS bosses are keen to put the deal to a workforce ballot as soon as possible, bypassing trade unions.

Senator Doug Cameron

Labor’s Shadow Minister for Human Services Doug Cameron came out swinging on Thursday morning, accusing DHS of “threats” and “aggressive” industrial tactics in pursuit of the Abbott government’s cost-cutting agenda.“The Abbott Government’s aggressive tactics in negotiating an employment agreement with Department of Human Services workers is a disturbing sign of things to come for public servants across Australia,” Senator Cameron said.

Senator Cameron said the government’s threat to cut its pay offer if bureaucrats do not sign on within five weeks was “unacceptable for the department that delivers vital front-line services such as Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support.”

“Tony Abbott is trying to force department workers to sign immediately by threatening further cuts if they don’t,” Senator Cameron said.
“This government is focused solely on cost-cutting, which ignores key drivers of efficiency, productivity and customer service.
"Negotiations should be focussing on drivers of productivity such as workforce skills, investment in technology, improved management systems and work organisation and a strong customer focus."

Shadow Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Brendan O’Connor joined his colleague’s attack, saying the Abbott government was taking a “wrecking ball” to public service jobs.
“The dirty details of this deal reveal Tony Abbott wants to do away with collective bargaining and productivity improvements and instead only look at the bottom line,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Mr Abbott is using the public service as a test-bed for his extreme industrial relations agenda and that should worry all Australian workers.”

Read more: