Tax office seeks non-union agreement

Tax office seeks non-union agreement

By Chris Slee

MELBOURNE — Australian Taxation Office managers are conducting a staff vote on a non-union certified agreement. The proposed agreement includes provisions that will make it easier to sack staff, introduce individual performance monitoring, allow longer opening hours without overtime or shift penalty rates, permit the transfer of staff between cities and allow the use of casual staff.

Staff will get a pay rise of up to 8% over two years — but only if a number of "productivity" and revenue collection targets are reached, at reduced cost. Only a 2% rise is guaranteed.

The tax section council of the Community and Public Sector Union has recommended a "no" vote, and has held a secret ballot of members seeking endorsement of this position.

Ben Courtice, CPSU secretary at Moonee Ponds tax office, told Green Left that voting against the proposed agreement is necessary but not sufficient. "We can get a better offer, but we must fight for it. We should start an industrial campaign, preferably on a public service-wide level, for a substantial pay rise with no trade-offs", he said.

From GLW issue 312