CPSU threatens strikes across 70 agencies

Date
    September 20, 2014





Commonwealth public servants could soon be striking across 70 different agencies in Canberra amid growing tensions over pay talks.      :-?

The Community and Public Sector Union has said it will escalate its campaign against the federal government's bargaining position following months of fruitless pay negotiations.

The CPSU governing council has voted to endorse the use of protected industrial action which would range from work bans, to stoppages, strikes and other campaign activities.

The union said it intended to send a strong message to the government, and its members would now be asked to fill in ballot papers to seek protection for industrial action before strikes commence.

CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said not a single government agency had been able to present an acceptable agreement to staff.      :(

"The government is targeting important rights that public sector workers have built up over decades, including superannuation, fair wages and decent conditions," she said.

"Today we say 'no'. We will not accept cuts to the rights and conditions of 165,000 public sector workers.

"Taking industrial action is a last resort and we would prefer to resolve this issue at the bargaining table. But this government is refusing to sit down with us to try and find a sensible outcome. Instead it has chosen to attack public servants and the CPSU."      :(

Ms Flood said Commonwealth agency heads were under instructions from Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service Eric Abetz not to make any pay deals which did not cut conditions.      :(

"We remain willing to talk but we have had nothing from this government, and minister Abetz is refusing to meet," she said.

Mr Abetz's spokesman said he had met the union several times.

"The CPSU should abandon its excessive 12 per cent pay claim which is unsustainable and out of line with community expectations, and which will cost 10,000 jobs," he said.

"Strike action in support of this claim in the current economic climate is highly irresponsible."

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/cpsu-threatens-strikes-across-70-agencies-20140920-10jnvi.html#ixzz3DtiSBvYg

Sack the lot of em.

No do not sack them.  There has already been far too many public servants gone.  Also people have a right to belong to a union.      ;)   

progressiveslol wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 8:40am:

Sack the lot of em.

Burn the buildings and salt the earth.

Quote:

12 per cent pay claim

Is that a joke?

Remove all there perks

Such as

14 weeks ppl on full pay + the existing labor Centrelink paid ppl. Can you believe it they get both.

15.4% Super

Flexitime attendance - the greatest shonk I have ever seen

Automatic right to go part time after maternity leave - as little as 1 day a week- a large number of these are executiveson $100k+  - Would you run a business that allowed that. This shows to me they are grossly overstaffed

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 9:59am:

Quote: 12 per cent pay claim Is that a joke?

We do not know the context or the time frame:

It is almost certainly a 3 or 4 year deal or in reality a 3% -4% per year increase - if it is supposedly paying for the buy out of many working conditions I would think it could possibly be too reasonable.

12% pay claim would be what is called an ambit claim.

14 weeks leave?  :D Maybe you are confusing teachers with CPS staff?  :D

Would YOU take a payrise of under inflations—i.e. a real pay cut? While others continue to enjoy rorts like negative gearing, excess super tax deductions?

PS numbers have been cut—Swan imposed efficiency dividend after efficiency dividend—too much now, the ATO can’t investigate the tax returns by big multinationals.

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:22am:

14 weeks leave?  :D Maybe you are confusing teachers with CPS staff?  :D .

The standard is 12weeks but most agencies now have negotiated an additional 2 weeks

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:20am:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 9:59am: Quote: 12 per cent pay claim Is that a joke? We do not know the context or the time frame: It is almost certainly a 3 or 4 year deal or in reality a 3% -4% per year increase - if it is supposedly paying for the buy out of many working conditions I would think it could possibly be too reasonable.

But if you believe Hockey that there is a budget emergency

then there should be a 12% pay cut.

Redmond Neck wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:15am:

Remove all there perks Such as 14 weeks ppl on full pay + the existing labor Centrelink paid ppl. Can you believe it they get both. 15.4% Super Flexitime attendance - the greatest shonk I have ever seen Automatic right to go part time after maternity leave - as little as 1 day a week- a large number of these are executiveson $100k+  - Would you run a business that allowed that. This shows to me they are grossly overstaffed

Quote:

Flexitime attendance - the greatest shonk I have ever seen

Why ? I have seen it work well - to me it was never a big deal only marginal both ways. I have never seen anyone get away with rorting their flexitime. Any company allowing flexitime have to tightly audit their time sheets and it is never open slather time allocation it is always only marginal work slightly shorter days or accumulate enough time for a day off a month or fortnight.

The big rorting with work time has always been at the management level.

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:28am:

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:20am: Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 9:59am: Quote: 12 per cent pay claim Is that a joke? We do not know the context or the time frame: It is almost certainly a 3 or 4 year deal or in reality a 3% -4% per year increase - if it is supposedly paying for the buy out of many working conditions I would think it could possibly be too reasonable. But if you believe Hockey that there is a budget emergency then there should be a 12% pay cut.

Why would you want to put our economy into a tail spin and make any supposed budget emergency much worse?

PSs just get 4 weeks leave like everyone else. You are likely confusing annual leave with long service leave.

Would the pay cut be for Mr Hockey as well?.      :-?

Cumulatively there has been a 12 or 16% efficiency dividend, i.e. cuts to PS staff. Cutting their wages on top of that—hello recession, when is your big brother Depressiong going to show up?

Only people who are doing better and better—the top 1-2% richest people. Maybe they should get a 20% paycut eh? Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension.

Redmond Neck wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:27am:

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:22am: 14 weeks leave?  :D Maybe you are confusing teachers with CPS staff?  :D . The standard is 12weeks but most agencies now have negotiated an additional 2 weeks

Tony Abbotts paid parental leave scheme is for 26 weeks at a more generous rate for many?

The current PPL everyone is entitled to covers 18 weeks.

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:34am:

Cumulatively there has been a 12 or 16% efficiency dividend, i.e. cuts to PS staff. Cutting their wages on top of that—hello recession, when is your big brother Depressiong going to show up? Only people who are doing better and better—the top 1-2% richest people. Maybe they should get a 20% paycut eh? Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension.

Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension

In a lot of cases this only means that some people may have a reasonably nice house in a desirable suburb. People who are genuinely asset rich outside of the family home are mostly already excluded for other reasons.

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:31am:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:28am: Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:20am: Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 9:59am: Quote: 12 per cent pay claim Is that a joke? We do not know the context or the time frame: It is almost certainly a 3 or 4 year deal or in reality a 3% -4% per year increase - if it is supposedly paying for the buy out of many working conditions I would think it could possibly be too reasonable. But if you believe Hockey that there is a budget emergency then there should be a 12% pay cut. Why would you want to put our economy into a tail spin and make any supposed budget emergency much worse?

A pay cut would help the budget & improve our economy.

Public servants already get paid more than people in the private sector.

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:40am:

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:31am: Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:28am: Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:20am: Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 9:59am: Quote: 12 per cent pay claim Is that a joke? We do not know the context or the time frame: It is almost certainly a 3 or 4 year deal or in reality a 3% -4% per year increase - if it is supposedly paying for the buy out of many working conditions I would think it could possibly be too reasonable. But if you believe Hockey that there is a budget emergency then there should be a 12% pay cut. Why would you want to put our economy into a tail spin and make any supposed budget emergency much worse? A pay cut would help the budget & improve our economy. Public servants already get paid more than people in the private sector.

It might help the Budget but it would drive the economy further into recession. Look into tax expenditures if you want to make cuts without hurting the economy.

And people in private enterprise get paid more than PSs, not less!

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:40am:

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:31am: Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:28am: Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:20am: Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 9:59am: Quote: 12 per cent pay claim Is that a joke? We do not know the context or the time frame: It is almost certainly a 3 or 4 year deal or in reality a 3% -4% per year increase - if it is supposedly paying for the buy out of many working conditions I would think it could possibly be too reasonable. But if you believe Hockey that there is a budget emergency then there should be a 12% pay cut. Why would you want to put our economy into a tail spin and make any supposed budget emergency much worse? A pay cut would help the budget & improve our economy. Public servants already get paid more than people in the private sector.

Some in the private sector are paid very generously  and many in the public sector are not.

Quote:

And people in private enterprise get paid more than PSs, not less!

Nonsense - it's an employers market now -

the pay has never been so bad for most workers.

I don't know anyone who's had a real pay rise since the GFC in 2008
other than a few "cost of living" increases.

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:38am:

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:34am: Cumulatively there has been a 12 or 16% efficiency dividend, i.e. cuts to PS staff. Cutting their wages on top of that—hello recession, when is your big brother Depressiong going to show up? Only people who are doing better and better—the top 1-2% richest people. Maybe they should get a 20% paycut eh? Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension. Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension In a lot of cases this only means that some people may have a reasonably nice house in a desirable suburb. People who are genuinely asset rich outside of the family home are mostly already excluded for other reasons.

No, because the family home is excluded from the asset test.

Just had a look at a couple of APS enterprise agreements regarding Maternity Leave

Safe Work Australia
12weeks + additional 4 weeks = 16 weeks
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.safeworkaustralia.gov.au%2Fsites%2FSWA%2Fabout%2FCareers%2Fworking-at-swa%2FDocuments%2FSafe%2520Work%2520Australia%2520Enterprise%2520Agreement%25202011-2014.doc&ei=7x8eVNLlCsG78gWK6oLACg&usg=AFQjCNG8E9gV3-33I0orYZn_qcJjESf6Hw Section 273

Immigration
12 weeks + additional 2 weeks = 14weeks
https://www.immi.gov.au/about/careers/_pdf/diac-ea-2011-2014.pdf
7.45 and 7.46

I believe PM&C are also 12 +2

I almost forgot they also all get the Centrelink 18 weeks payment as well

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:46am:

Quote: And people in private enterprise get paid more than PSs, not less! Nonsense - it's an employers market now - the pay has never been so bad for most workers. I don't know anyone who's had a real pay rise since the GFC in 2008 other than a few "cost of living" increases.

other than a few "cost of living" increases

That is all the majority of normal employees ever got?

St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:47am:

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:38am: St George of the Garden wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:34am: Cumulatively there has been a 12 or 16% efficiency dividend, i.e. cuts to PS staff. Cutting their wages on top of that—hello recession, when is your big brother Depressiong going to show up? Only people who are doing better and better—the top 1-2% richest people. Maybe they should get a 20% paycut eh? Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension. Maybe kick asset millionaires off the Age Pension In a lot of cases this only means that some people may have a reasonably nice house in a desirable suburb. People who are genuinely asset rich outside of the family home are mostly already excluded for other reasons. No, because the family home is excluded from the asset test.

All the studies on asset rich income poor seem to focus on the family home. Outside of this other assets do count towards the means test so we should already have no asset millionaires (excluding family home) on the pension.

Dnarever wrote on Sep 21^st, 2014 at 10:50am:

Bobby. wrote on Sep 21st, 2014 at 10:46am: Quote: And people in private enterprise get paid more than PSs, not less! Nonsense - it's an employers market now - the pay has never been so bad for most workers. I don't know anyone who's had a real pay rise since the GFC in 2008 other than a few "cost of living" increases. other than a few "cost of living" increases That is all the majority of normal employees ever got?

Personal knowledge.
It's all I've heard about or got.