Post by JJJ88 on Oct 10, 2023 10:07:31 GMT 7
Services Australia staff strike for 24 hours after CPSU rejects latest pay offer
Services Australia staff walked off the job and are striking on Monday October 9 for 24 hours, over a pay dispute.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Workers walked off the job on Monday, with the strike possibly impacting Centrelink and health insurance services.
However, Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen told 7NEWS.com.au last week it was “making preparations to minimise potential disruption to our customers”.
“We respect that lawful industrial action is part of the process for bargaining and we are working to identify possible numbers of participating staff,” he said.
“We want to reassure customers that payments will not be affected.
“Our priority remains ensuring that those most vulnerable or with urgent queries will get the support they need. “
It’s understood the online and self-services — including myGov, Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support online accounts and mobile apps — will not be affected.
The action comes after the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) told Services Australia that members of the agency, which boasts more than 32,000 employees, would take industrial action over the pay dispute.
CPSU national secretary Melissa Donnelly said the government needed to honour its commitment to the public sector.
CPSU claims the latest offer from Services Australia of a 0.7 per cent increase on the proposed pay offer of 10.5 per cent over three years isn’t good enough.
“The CPSU has rejected this offer because we know that we can and we should be aiming higher than 50 per cent, plus one,” Donnelly said.
“The Albanese Labor Government made a commitment to the public service before their election to become a model employer and to rebuild the APS (Australian Public Service) after a decade of damage and destruction.
“In an environment where every APS worker is feeling the extreme cost of living pressures, the current pay offer doesn’t cut it,” she said.
“Our members are ready to increase pressure as needed to secure a better outcome on pay.”
The CPSU notified the Australian Public Service Commission on Wednesday that the union would not be taking up the pay offer.
7news.com.au/business/centrelink/services-australia-staff-strike-for-24-hours-after-cpsu-rejects-latest-pay-offer--c-12145670
Services Australia staff walked off the job and are striking on Monday October 9 for 24 hours, over a pay dispute.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Workers walked off the job on Monday, with the strike possibly impacting Centrelink and health insurance services.
However, Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen told 7NEWS.com.au last week it was “making preparations to minimise potential disruption to our customers”.
“We respect that lawful industrial action is part of the process for bargaining and we are working to identify possible numbers of participating staff,” he said.
“We want to reassure customers that payments will not be affected.
“Our priority remains ensuring that those most vulnerable or with urgent queries will get the support they need. “
It’s understood the online and self-services — including myGov, Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support online accounts and mobile apps — will not be affected.
The action comes after the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) told Services Australia that members of the agency, which boasts more than 32,000 employees, would take industrial action over the pay dispute.
CPSU national secretary Melissa Donnelly said the government needed to honour its commitment to the public sector.
CPSU claims the latest offer from Services Australia of a 0.7 per cent increase on the proposed pay offer of 10.5 per cent over three years isn’t good enough.
“The CPSU has rejected this offer because we know that we can and we should be aiming higher than 50 per cent, plus one,” Donnelly said.
“The Albanese Labor Government made a commitment to the public service before their election to become a model employer and to rebuild the APS (Australian Public Service) after a decade of damage and destruction.
“In an environment where every APS worker is feeling the extreme cost of living pressures, the current pay offer doesn’t cut it,” she said.
“Our members are ready to increase pressure as needed to secure a better outcome on pay.”
The CPSU notified the Australian Public Service Commission on Wednesday that the union would not be taking up the pay offer.
7news.com.au/business/centrelink/services-australia-staff-strike-for-24-hours-after-cpsu-rejects-latest-pay-offer--c-12145670
