Defiant Border Force officers will proceed with another round of industrial action commencing on Wednesday, despite staff at ports and other freight sites facing being stood down without pay in the latest example of heavy-handed tactics from departmental management.
More than 500 workers working in ‘freight’ areas covering cargo, mail and goods are expected to be stood down and docked all pay by the Department on Wednesday for applying limited work bans. This escalation comes ahead of a wider 24-hour strike that will also cover airports and all other sites across the Department of Immigration and Border Protection on Monday, November 9.
The CPSU had notified the Department that this particular industrial action covering freight would be restricted to limited work bans, with staff planning to continue carrying out the vast majority of their regulatory duties at ports, air freight terminals and mail centres.
But, in a nasty escalation, the Department advised on Friday that any staff who choose to participate in a work ban will lose their full pay for that day, regardless of how long workers take the action or how many of their regular duties they continue to perform.
CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said: “Our phones have been running hot since the Department made their stand down threat. The strong view of Border Force staff is that they will absolutely not be intimidated and will proceed with industrial action. All the Department has achieved is to force these workers to escalate their work bans into what amounts to a management-initiated strike.”
“Members were already outraged that the Government’s bargaining policy was putting many of their conditions and rights at risk, with many staff facing cuts to their take-home pay of $8,000 a year or more. The Department’s latest move has now added insult to injury ahead of the 24-hour strike by all Immigration and Border Protection staff on Monday.”
“The Department has made a weak attempt to justify their heavy-handed approach to its own workers, saying it’s a busy time for freight in the lead-up to Christmas, but their decision to stand workers down is going to make things worse not better. If the Department wasn't standing down these workers without pay for a limited work ban, they would be at work continuing with the majority of their duties.”
“It’s a bit rich for the Department to bring up Christmas when it’s still trying to strip essential rights and conditions and cut the take-home pay of many by $8,000. Imagine the grim Christmas that would result from that kind of hit to a workers’ family finances.”
“This latest development shows the Department and Government still don’t get it. The CPSU has been saying for months we are absolutely willing to negotiate sensible outcomes but the Government’s bargaining policy remains completely unworkable.”
“We are asking Government to genuinely consider our proposals for fair and realistic outcomes, maintaining the rights and conditions workers are so worried about losing, with a pay offer of 2.5% to 3%. Instead, Government's policy has locked this Department and every other agency into offering wholesale stripping of rights, despite over 90% of Immigration and Border Protection staff already voting to reject those cuts.”
More than 500 workers working in ‘freight’ areas covering cargo, mail and goods are expected to be stood down and docked all pay by the Department on Wednesday for applying limited work bans. This escalation comes ahead of a wider 24-hour strike that will also cover airports and all other sites across the Department of Immigration and Border Protection on Monday, November 9.
The CPSU had notified the Department that this particular industrial action covering freight would be restricted to limited work bans, with staff planning to continue carrying out the vast majority of their regulatory duties at ports, air freight terminals and mail centres.
But, in a nasty escalation, the Department advised on Friday that any staff who choose to participate in a work ban will lose their full pay for that day, regardless of how long workers take the action or how many of their regular duties they continue to perform.
CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said: “Our phones have been running hot since the Department made their stand down threat. The strong view of Border Force staff is that they will absolutely not be intimidated and will proceed with industrial action. All the Department has achieved is to force these workers to escalate their work bans into what amounts to a management-initiated strike.”
“Members were already outraged that the Government’s bargaining policy was putting many of their conditions and rights at risk, with many staff facing cuts to their take-home pay of $8,000 a year or more. The Department’s latest move has now added insult to injury ahead of the 24-hour strike by all Immigration and Border Protection staff on Monday.”
“The Department has made a weak attempt to justify their heavy-handed approach to its own workers, saying it’s a busy time for freight in the lead-up to Christmas, but their decision to stand workers down is going to make things worse not better. If the Department wasn't standing down these workers without pay for a limited work ban, they would be at work continuing with the majority of their duties.”
“It’s a bit rich for the Department to bring up Christmas when it’s still trying to strip essential rights and conditions and cut the take-home pay of many by $8,000. Imagine the grim Christmas that would result from that kind of hit to a workers’ family finances.”
“This latest development shows the Department and Government still don’t get it. The CPSU has been saying for months we are absolutely willing to negotiate sensible outcomes but the Government’s bargaining policy remains completely unworkable.”
“We are asking Government to genuinely consider our proposals for fair and realistic outcomes, maintaining the rights and conditions workers are so worried about losing, with a pay offer of 2.5% to 3%. Instead, Government's policy has locked this Department and every other agency into offering wholesale stripping of rights, despite over 90% of Immigration and Border Protection staff already voting to reject those cuts.”
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