Australian Border Force rejects pay deal with emphatic no vote

Date
    September 22, 2015


More than 10,000 public servants at the Immigration department voted overwhelmingly to reject a pay offer after a "difficult and divisive" merger with Customs and the formation of the Australian Border Force, according to the main workplace union.   :-?

The controversial wage deal offered to 13,500 public servants at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection has been crushed in an all-staff ballot with 91 per cent of voters rejecting the deal.

In the wake of the ballot, that saw an 82 per cent turnout, the Community and Public Sector Union came out swinging, saying the outcome reflected the "mess" that new public service minister Michaelia Cash had inherited in the Australian Public Service.


DIBP's workers, many of whom are currently engaged in disruptive strike action around the nation's airports, were offered 3.4 per cent over three years, one of the lowest on offer in the public service, with Customs officers who have transferred to the Border Force to be hit hardest by the loss of allowances and entitlements.   :(

The massive no-vote, coming in the wake of emphatic rejections of pay deal at other departments, underlines the challenge facing Ms Cash in trying to resolve the industrial stalemate between the government and most of its 150,000 public servants.

The Immigration ballot was dogged by technical glitches on its opening day with the voting system freezing and crashing as thousands of public servants tried to cast their votes.

The department has been approached for comment.

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said on Tuesday the vote was another blow to the government's "draconian" wage policy towards its public servants.

"Minister Cash has inherited a mess across Commonwealth government agencies, with workers rejecting this draconian bargaining policy," Ms Flood said.

"More than 10,000 Border Protection workers have said no to an unfair agreement that cut the take-home pay of many staff by $8000 a year or more.   :(

"The creation of Border Force through this merger of Customs and Immigration has been difficult and divisive.

"What we've seen today is this workforce coming together to reject a fundamentally flawed agreement.

"This result shows that even middle managers who are being pushed to act as strike breakers in this dispute must have voted strongly to reject this agreement."

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/border-force-rejects-pay-deal-with-emphatic-no-vote-20150921-gjrxdf.html#ixzz3mRs8SafX

"More than 10,000 Border Protection workers have said no to an unfair agreement that cut the take-home pay of many staff by $8000 a year or more.


That's a big cut......no wonder they're striking.

They should get a pay rise for stopping the boats

Bloody Blackshirts... Morrison gives them a nice uniform, presence on the streets, fascinating work at times (I was interviewed by Customs for a job and said I wanted to do 'boat work' on the basis of my work with the SBS - before it became all the rage)...cash and a nice pension fund.. and what do they do?

Bludgers expect to be remunerated fairly for their goddamned work!!  How dare they...

Well said Grappler, and they wonder why people join unions.  Go figure.   :D   

Swagman wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2015 at 6:22pm:

They should get a pay rise for stopping the boats

Don’t you mean the Navy?

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2015 at 6:32pm:

I was interviewed by Customs for a job and said I wanted to do 'boat work' on the basis of my work with the SBS - before it became all the rage)...

I was offered a job with them once too ... I said no.  I've regretted it ever since.

Johnsmith wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2015 at 7:27pm:

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 6:32pm: I was interviewed by Customs for a job and said I wanted to do 'boat work' on the basis of my work with the SBS - before it became all the rage)... I was offered a job with them once too ... I said no.  I've regretted it ever since.

They didn't want 'boat people' at that time....now it's all the rage...

this how stupid this govt. is ... it doesn't want to give the workers a pay rise but spent who knows how much making border force teddy bears for promotional purposes.

What's to promote? It's not like they're seeking extra customers  :D :D :D

Johnsmith wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2015 at 7:27pm:

Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 6:32pm: I was interviewed by Customs for a job and said I wanted to do 'boat work' on the basis of my work with the SBS - before it became all the rage)... I was offered a job with them once too ... I said no.  I've regretted it ever since.

No you did the right thing John. Can you imagine what you'd be like now.  You'd be arguing with us from Longy, Armpit and cod's side of the fence and citing DT articles for support.   

ImSpartacus2 wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2015 at 7:36pm:

Johnsmith wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 7:27pm: Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 6:32pm: I was interviewed by Customs for a job and said I wanted to do 'boat work' on the basis of my work with the SBS - before it became all the rage)... I was offered a job with them once too ... I said no.  I've regretted it ever since. No you did the right thing John. Can you imagine what you'd be like now.  You'd be arguing with us from Longy, Armpit and cod's side of the fence and citing DT articles for support.

I could never get that stupid.

Johnsmith wrote on Sep 22^nd, 2015 at 7:37pm:

ImSpartacus2 wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 7:36pm: Johnsmith wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 7:27pm: Grappler Deep State Feller wrote on Sep 22nd, 2015 at 6:32pm: I was interviewed by Customs for a job and said I wanted to do 'boat work' on the basis of my work with the SBS - before it became all the rage)... I was offered a job with them once too ... I said no.  I've regretted it ever since. No you did the right thing John. Can you imagine what you'd be like now.  You'd be arguing with us from Longy, Armpit and cod's side of the fence and citing DT articles for support.    I could never get that stupid.

Nahh you're right. You have to come from a special breed to possess the Longy/Armpit/cods level of stupidity   

I've worked in the CPS - most Public Servants just do their job - some do it very well - but after five + years of fighting with their management structures, I quit.

Self-servers welcome - all others may not apply, and then it became a work placement program for 'afflicted' social groups, and that was the end.

Now you see the result.