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

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.      

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Is that a joke?

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


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.

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


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

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


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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.

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

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.