Tax workers to vote on bans

By Chris Slee

Members of the Community and Public Sector Union employed by the Australian Taxation Office will meet between July 15 and 19 to vote on recommendations for work bans put by the union's Tax Division executive. The proposals include a ban on the issuing of notices to taxpayers who owe money.

The industrial campaign was proposed after management announced the "ATO — Business 2000" plan, which includes up to 3000 job cuts, massive forced relocations of staff, and attacks on working conditions.

The plan tries to entice workers to "voluntarily" give up conditions, on the pretext of saving money so that fewer jobs will be lost.

However, management is giving no guarantee of job security, no matter how much money is saved. If workers accept trading off conditions for jobs, the government is likely to take the opportunity to cut funding even further.

From GLW issue 238