Jim McIlroy

Members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) employed in Centrelink are holding rolling stop-work meetings around the country in their campaign for a fair enterprise bargaining agreement. The previous agreement expired on October 1 and the union is now taking “protected” industrial action under current workplace relations laws.

Union members in customer service centres and call centres have been walking off the job to call for a fully guaranteed 12.5% wage rise over three years, no cuts to conditions and the ability to fairly participate in the union. The CPSU wants further negotiations with Centrelink management to attempt to finalise a fair agreement.

When management took the CPSU to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in early October to obtain an order to ban industrial action, it was rebuffed. This was a victory for the right to strike as part of a union campaign for improved wages and conditions — a right under serious threat from the federal government’s proposed new industrial relations legislation.

The resolution that is being adopted overwhelmingly at CPSU stop-work meetings rejects Centrelink’s current offer, calls for direct meetings between the union and Centrelink CEO Geoff Whalan, and warns of further stop-work meetings if progress is not made. Strong opposition to the current management offer amongst the union membership has prompted calls for escalated industrial action if no resolution is reached in the near future.

From Green Left Weekly, October 12, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

Tools

• Bookmark This Page
• Print This Page