By Philippa Stanfield
ADELAIDE — On September 24, members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) staged a street theatre action to highlight the impact on customers and workers of staff cuts in Centrelink.
Organised by delegates from the Adelaide Call Centre, the action was in response to management's celebration of Centrelink's first birthday.
When the government set up Centrelink, it promised to provide "a much better standard of service delivery to the community and individuals". Since then, it has announced staff cuts of 1300 this year and a further 2500 jobs to go in 1999 — a loss of funding of $149 million per year with no reduction workload.
Clients and staff are frustrated at the inadequate staffing levels. Clients are experiencing delays and mistakes in payments while staff face increased anger from dissatisfied clients.
The action was part of a national campaign to stop the job cuts. CPSU members around Australia took part in campaigning stalls to raise awareness of the issue. In the next few weeks, union members and delegates will be discussing how to escalate the campaign.
Jim McIlroy reports from Brisbane that "lamington stalls" were held outside Centrelink offices in Nundah, Strathpine, Ipswich, Southport, Maryborough, Rockhampton, Cairns and Townsville.
The Democratic Socialists' Senate candidate in Queensland, Coral Wynter, condemned the staffing cuts as "an open escalation of the attack on the public sector and a threat to social welfare services".
She called for "a major expansion of staffing in Centrelink" and "a thorough overhaul of the social security system to increase the level and availability of payments to all who need them."