Bargain or we'll sue, union tells Abetz

    Ewin Hannan
    The Australian
    March 27, 2014


THE nation's public-sector union is threatening legal action to try to force the Abbott government to start bargaining for workplace deals covering 160,000 workers.      :-?

The Community and Public Sector Union accused Employment Minister Eric Abetz yesterday of delaying tactics that prevented agencies from starting negotiations with union representatives before the current agreement expires on June 30.      

Senator Abetz criticised the union's approach, saying yesterday that the government's public-sector wages policy would be released tomorrow.

The union's national secretary, Nadine Flood, said the CPSU had started asking workers in three departments to back an application for a "majority-support determination" to be lodged with the Fair Work Commission.

Under the Fair Work Act, employers can be obliged to start bargaining if unions can demonstrate a majority of employees support it.

Ms Flood said Senator Abetz was regularly telling businesses to get their house in order but "it's clear he can't manage his own".      :(

The union had about 12 contacts with Senator Abetz since September but there had been a "lack of genuine engagement" by the government.

The union's claim includes annual wage rises of 4 per cent over three years, protection of existing employment conditions and no forced redundancies.

A spokesman for Senator Abetz said the minister regretted the CPSU's approach and it was "in the interests of their members to abandon their 12 per cent pay claim and come to the negotiating table in good faith".

Addressing the union's governing council in November, Senator Abetz said bargaining outcomes must be affordable and realistic.

The spokesman said the minister had emphasised the need of unions to manage the expectations of employees.

He also said he looked forward to the use of phones and emails and meetings, rather than megaphones as that type of communication would be more "conducive for harmonious workplaces".

There's little cash for public service pay rises and it's all Labor's fault, says Eric Abetz

Date
    March 28, 2014


Public Service Minister Eric Abetz has warned pay talks for the service will be tough, with the government having ''minimal'' capacity to fund pay rises.   :(      

He told the Senate on Thursday that the Coalition would not borrow money overseas to fund higher wages for 160,000 federal bureaucrats and took aim at their main union, the CPSU, for its ''unsustainable and out-of-touch'' wage claim.

The government will unveil its bargaining policy on Friday, allowing talks to begin between 117 departments and agencies and 160,000 of their employees.


On Wednesday the CPSU circulated petitions in several departments aimed at forcing the government to the negotiating table, with the union saying it had lost patience after months of delays.      :(

But Senator Abetz hit back on Thursday, telling Senate question time there was little money for pay rises for federal public servants and that the situation was Labor's fault.

''As a result of the $123 billion worth of prospective Labor deficits and $667 billion worth of gross Labor debt, there will be minimal capacity for wage increases,'' Senator Abetz told the chamber. "Public service wages need to be affordable and sustainable and within community expectations.''He said he had met the union's ruling council late last year and asked them not to pursue ''unsustainable'' wage rises.

''The very day that the devastating state of the nation's finances left by Labor were revealed, the very next day, the CPSU advised they were lodging a 12 per cent claim, clearly unsustainable, out of touch with community expectations.''

Foreshadowing a tough round of negotiations, he said the government was determined not to put wage rises for public servants on ''the national credit card''.

''We simply cannot keep on borrowing from overseas to pay for public sector wage rises without any appreciable productivity offsets,'' Senator Abetz said.



He went on to blame the previous government for the redundancy turmoil gripping the public service and shattering morale in the bureaucracy.   ::)      

''The Coalition recognises that public servants have families, they have mortgages they have bills,'' he said. ''The government is already having to manage a reduction of 14,500 public service jobs as a result of the former Labor government's largely secret cuts, and each one of those 14,500 is a human being, probably a family breadwinner.

''Labor's administrative and financial mismanagement shattered the APS morale and imposed ever-increasing efficiency dividends now resulting in minimal capacity for wage increases.''

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/theres-little-cash-for-public-service-pay-rises-and-its-all-labors-fault-says-eric-abetz-20140327-35m4g.html#ixzz2xCYwykce

The Liberals are grubs - each and every one of them.

4% increase is only matching inflation, its not a pay rise and it is only their bargaining position. an outcome of 3% is more likely and would be below inflation.

A real money pay cut.

If the union were serious, they would in the first instance, take out the request for existing conditions guarantee

Largely secret cuts. . .announced each Budget night.

Dnarever wrote on Mar 28^th, 2014 at 8:53am:

The Liberals are grubs - each and every one of them. 4% increase is only matching inflation, its not a pay rise and it is only their bargaining position. an outcome of 3% is more likely and would be below inflation. A real money pay cut.

4% is above inflation, last recorded data was at 2.7%

Having said that, 4% is a perfectly reasonable place to start negotiating, but I'm guessing the government will just try to blame the union and be pig headed about it, stalling negotiation.

Stratos wrote on Mar 28^th, 2014 at 9:22am:

Dnarever wrote on Mar 28th, 2014 at 8:53am: The Liberals are grubs - each and every one of them. 4% increase is only matching inflation, its not a pay rise and it is only their bargaining position. an outcome of 3% is more likely and would be below inflation. A real money pay cut. 4% is above inflation, last recorded data was at 2.7% Having said that, 4% is a perfectly reasonable place to start negotiating, but I'm guessing the government will just try to blame the union and be pig headed about it, stalling negotiation.

Pay rises above inflation need to be supported by productivity increases otherwise it reduces competitiveness.