Centrelink call-centre staff facing pay cuts

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Union warns Centrelink call-centre staff facing pay cuts

Staff at Centrelink call centres in Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads are facing dramatic pay cuts, according to the union representing public sector workers.

The Community and Public Sector Union is engaged in pay negotiations with the Department of Human Services.

It says staff have been told their pay will be cut, and they can expect reduced penalty rates.

They are essentially asking people to...just give money back to the Government
Lisa Newman, Deputy National President

An earlier proposal was almost put to a staff vote in July, but the union indicated it needed more time for bargaining and consultation on the draft agreement.

Deputy National President of the CPSU, Lisa Newman, said they appreciate the need to cut costs, but the cuts now being proposed go too far.

"We absolutely understand and have been supportive of the move successive Governments have made to increase productivity," she said.

"But productivity has been so narrowly defined by this Government, that they are essentially asking people to pay for - well not even pay for their own pay increase, just give money back to the Government."

Ms Newman said the increased number of casual workers being hired is also a concern.

"We know that in the Coffs Harbour call centre there has been a decreasing number of permanent jobs," she said.

"Those permanent positions are really important in regional centres, because once they go they're very difficult to get back."

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services said all aspects of the earlier proposal, including pay rates, are up for review.

"We remain committed to working towards an agreement we can put to a staff vote as soon as possible, and will continue to negotiate with all union and non-union representatives in good faith," she said.

The spokeswoman said a certain number of casual employees are required to meet fluctuating workloads.

"Due to the flexible and changing service delivery environment that we operate in, there will always be a need for a proportion of temporary staff to meet priorities and short-term needs," she said.

"The department employs a number of casual employees to assist with workload peaks during the year."

www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-22/union-warns-centrelink-call-centre-staff-facing-pay-cuts/5689520?§ion=news

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Centrelink, Medicare staff to begin industrial action over Government's pay offer

Public servants in Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support will start industrial action on Thursday over the Government's pay offer.

They have been told they would be limited to a rise of less than 1 per cent and cuts to their rights and conditions.

After months of toing and froing over the Government's enterprise agreement offers in a number of departments, 15,000 staff in the Department of Human Services will begin low-level action on Thursday.

However the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) warned that could escalate into a major dispute next year if the Government did not improve its offer.

CPSU spokeswoman Nadine Flood said there were a number of ways staff would voice their protest.

"Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support staff will start with low-level action aimed to show they are concerned, such as by providing messages to their clients about their concern with the Government's draconian bargaining position," she said.

Public servants in Centrelink and Medicare customer service centres would also refuse to wear their corporate uniform.

"We've always said we won't take any industrial action that would affect payments to families and pensioners in the lead-up to Christmas," she said.

"This is starting with low-level action to show concern. It is up to the Government to determine whether it escalates further."
'Consider the wellbeing of our nation'

Employment Minister Eric Abetz, who oversaw the Government's bargaining process, said the country was in "financially constrained times".

"Any increase in payments will either lead to job losses or increase borrowings unless there is a genuine productivity trade-off," he said.

"We went to our own remuneration tribunal saying that for parliamentarians there should be no pay increase because of the financial constraints we are under and they accepted our submission.

"And as a Government what we are asking for is the public service to consider the wellbeing of our nation."

Senator Abetz said he hoped most public servants accepted that times had been "relatively good for them in the past".

"At the moment we are in a recovery phase, where times are tough, and as a result the way it increases cannot be as generous," he said.

"If they assist us in getting the economy back on track, then of course the future will look a lot brighter for all Australians, including the public service."

The CPSU described the minister's bargaining policy as a "train wreck".

"It's a little rich for politicians to preach restraint to Medicare mums on $55,000 a year, when pollies' pay rises have run 41 per cent above inflation over the last decade," Ms Flood said.

"The key issue here is in fact not pay - it is the attack on the conditions and rights of these workers and that's the one issue the minister doesn't want to say a word about, because he can't justify it."
Staff in Abetz's department expected to reject pay deal

Staff in the Department of Veterans' Affairs are also expected to take industrial action soon and public servants in the minister's own department will be the first to vote on the deal offered to them.

Ms Flood said union members have said they would reject it.

"We've polled staff and that says that 96 per cent will vote no," she said.

"Given that Mr Abetz has carriage of workplace bargaining across the entire public service, a strong rejection of this still by his own staff will certainly be seen as an embarrassment.

"We're being told that even in the employment department, there is deep discomfort by management at having to offer such a nasty deal to these staff and they expect it to be rejected."

Senator Abetz is showing no sign of willingness to loosen the purse strings.

"Is it easy times? No it's not," he said.

"We're calling for restraint, we have led by example.

"Other organisations around the country are accepting that times are tough, carving our enterprise agreements based on job preservation, and that is something I think most Australians would like to see."

Ms Flood said the union expected a number of agencies and departments with staff would reach the point of voting on industrial action early next year.

"Unless the Government and the Minister has an epiphany and actually decides that they are prepared to talk about a more sensible approach," she said.

au.news.yahoo.com/a/25739717/centrelink-medicare-staff-to-begin-industrial-action-over-governments-pay-offer/

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Centrelink, Medicare staff to read protest messages to customers in first stage of industrial action

Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support staff will read messages of protest to call centre customers and go to work in casual dress in the first stage of an industrial action against their employer today.

But the Department of Human Services (DHS) has warned staff they could have their pay docked if they participate.

Earlier this year the department offered staff a new employment agreement, which would remove their super guarantee of 15.4 per cent and require them to work an extra six minutes per day in exchange for a pay rise of 0.75 per cent per annum.

Months of negotiations between the department and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) have failed to yield a solution and in November 15,000 members voted to take protected industrial action.

The union has directed affiliated call centre staff to read the following statement to customers throughout the day, before processing their requests:

"Sorry you have been kept waiting. The Government has cut thousands of jobs over the past 10 years. DHS union members are fighting for safer workloads and better services for you. If you want more information about our campaign, please email [e-mail]. Now, how can I help you?"
Staff who delay customers by reading messages could lose pay

DHS staff have also been told not to wear their corporate uniform, and to use an auto reply for internal emails that reads:

"Thanks for your email. I am taking industrial action in support of a fair and reasonable agreement for all DHS workers. We reject the Government's low pay offer and cuts to our rights and conditions. "

The union has also banned the use of auxiliary codes, which call centre staff use to let their managers what they are working on.

Staff in Centrelink and Medicare shop fronts have been told not to discuss the action with customers, unless they are asked why they are not in uniform.

A DHS spokeswoman said staff who delayed customers by reading messages could have their pay docked.

"If staff choose to read CPSU statements to customers and delay them doing their business with us, we will apply a partial work ban, which means not paying them for the period they read out the message," she said.

The spokeswoman said the industrial action was predominantly aimed at internal and administrative functions and was not expected to have a significant impact on customers.

"The department is operating as usual and we have robust processes in place to ensure industrial action does not affect the delivery of health and welfare payments," she said.

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said the action was designed to send a signal to DHS management and Public Service Minister Eric Abetz, before more serious action early next year.

"We would prefer to resolve these issues at the bargaining table but until Minister Abetz comes up with a fair and workable bargaining policy, what happens next is up to him," Ms Flood said.

The union said no action affecting payments to customers would be taken over the Christmas period.

www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-11/centrelink-call-centre-staff-read-protest-messages-to-customers/5958818