SEP 23, 2015
Tens of thousands of public sector workers at key agencies including Medicare, Centrelink and the Tax Office will go on strike around the country on Thursday, adding to the pressure on the Government as strike action continues at international airports.
The CPSU advises that services may be disrupted at customer service centres and call centres once the half-day action begins at lunchtime, as workers step up their fight against the Government’s attempts to cut their rights, conditions and for many, their take-home pay.
The half-day strike will involve workers from the departments of Human Services, Employment, Environment, Education, Agriculture, Defence and Veteran Affairs, along with the Tax Office, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Bureau of Statistics.
CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said: “These workers are extremely frustrated with the Government’s 18-month attack on their rights and conditions. We are calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister Michaelia Cash to rethink this failed bargaining policy and work with the union to find a sensible way forward.”
“This dispute was caused by Government policy requiring Commonwealth agencies to go to war with their own workforce, to strip important workplace rights and conditions from enterprise agreements. Among today’s striking members, for example, mums and dads working at Centrelink and Medicare are deeply worried about the loss of family-friendly conditions.”
“The previous Minister responsible, Senator Eric Abetz, refused to even meet with the union to discuss these concerns since January 2014."
“New Minister Michaelia Cash is being sent a clear message by Thursday’s strike, the ongoing airport action by Immigration and Border Force workers and by staff voting strongly to reject these unfair agreements when agencies have been forced to put them to an all employee ballot.”
“Minister Cash now has a clear opportunity to move away from the failed bargaining policy of her predecessor and instead take a modern, productive approach to public sector workplace relations.”
“Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has clearly stated that he does not want to wage war with workers or unions. We are calling on the Government to change the way it deals with its own workforce.”
More than 100 Government department still do not have new enterprise agreements, representing 96% of total public service workforce.
Earlier this week workers with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection became the latest to emphatically reject the Government’s negotiating approach to date.
More than 91 per cent or over 10,000 Immigration and Border Protection staff voted No to the proposed enterprise agreement, which would cut the take-home pay of many in the new Border Force by $8,000 a year, with a record 82 per cent of all staff voting in the ballot.
Staff in many of the other agencies striking have also voted to reject these unacceptable deals, including an 83% No vote from the Government’s largest department, Human Services.
DIBP workers will be striking along with other agencies on Thursday, but also continuing their campaign of at least 10 consecutive days of strikes that has disrupted international airports and other facilities around the country.
(Members in the ACT did not be take part in the strike action on Thursday 24 September because they took successful action Tuesday 15 September).
Tens of thousands of public sector workers at key agencies including Medicare, Centrelink and the Tax Office will go on strike around the country on Thursday, adding to the pressure on the Government as strike action continues at international airports.
The CPSU advises that services may be disrupted at customer service centres and call centres once the half-day action begins at lunchtime, as workers step up their fight against the Government’s attempts to cut their rights, conditions and for many, their take-home pay.
The half-day strike will involve workers from the departments of Human Services, Employment, Environment, Education, Agriculture, Defence and Veteran Affairs, along with the Tax Office, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Bureau of Statistics.
CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said: “These workers are extremely frustrated with the Government’s 18-month attack on their rights and conditions. We are calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister Michaelia Cash to rethink this failed bargaining policy and work with the union to find a sensible way forward.”
“This dispute was caused by Government policy requiring Commonwealth agencies to go to war with their own workforce, to strip important workplace rights and conditions from enterprise agreements. Among today’s striking members, for example, mums and dads working at Centrelink and Medicare are deeply worried about the loss of family-friendly conditions.”
“The previous Minister responsible, Senator Eric Abetz, refused to even meet with the union to discuss these concerns since January 2014."
“New Minister Michaelia Cash is being sent a clear message by Thursday’s strike, the ongoing airport action by Immigration and Border Force workers and by staff voting strongly to reject these unfair agreements when agencies have been forced to put them to an all employee ballot.”
“Minister Cash now has a clear opportunity to move away from the failed bargaining policy of her predecessor and instead take a modern, productive approach to public sector workplace relations.”
“Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has clearly stated that he does not want to wage war with workers or unions. We are calling on the Government to change the way it deals with its own workforce.”
More than 100 Government department still do not have new enterprise agreements, representing 96% of total public service workforce.
Earlier this week workers with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection became the latest to emphatically reject the Government’s negotiating approach to date.
More than 91 per cent or over 10,000 Immigration and Border Protection staff voted No to the proposed enterprise agreement, which would cut the take-home pay of many in the new Border Force by $8,000 a year, with a record 82 per cent of all staff voting in the ballot.
Staff in many of the other agencies striking have also voted to reject these unacceptable deals, including an 83% No vote from the Government’s largest department, Human Services.
DIBP workers will be striking along with other agencies on Thursday, but also continuing their campaign of at least 10 consecutive days of strikes that has disrupted international airports and other facilities around the country.
(Members in the ACT did not be take part in the strike action on Thursday 24 September because they took successful action Tuesday 15 September).
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