Strikes disrupt government's tax plans

BY CHRIS SLEE

MELBOURNE -- In the first of a series of snap strikes over stalled pay negotiations, several hundred Community and Public Sector Union members in the Newcastle branch of the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) walked off the job on May 17 for several hours. Similar stoppages have occurred in other tax offices.

The processing of Australian business numbers (ABNs), a crucial part of the government's GST package, has been disrupted by the stoppages. In an attempt to deal with the growing mountain of ABN applications, the ATO has moved another 180 staff away from debt collection work to ABN processing.

The secretary of the union's tax section, Shane O'Connell, said, “Members have been forced into taking this action because ATO management is unwilling or unable to resolve this dispute. We have a fair and reasonable claim that the ATO could easily accommodate. Unfortunately they seem intent on provoking further action.”

The government is spending $360 million on trying to convince a sceptical public of the GST's benefits, but refuses to give tax office workers a reasonable pay rise. Instead, it is offering 4% per year, conditional on meeting a range of targets relating to revenue collection, service standards, “professionalism” and successful implementation of the GST. Even if these targets were all met (which is very unlikely) the pay rise would be less than the expected inflation rate.

Management is planning to put its offer to a staff vote on June 5-7 and is holding staff meetings to try to sell the deal to them. The CPSU is campaigning for a “no” vote, but points out that voting alone is not sufficient. Only industrial action can force management to make a better offer, the union argues.

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