More than 15,000 Community and Public Sector Union members from almost every Australian Public Service agency have voted on the CPSU's APS-wide bargaining claim. The final outcome was 14,665 (97.5%) in favour.
The claim included an APS-wide pay rise of 4%, payable from July 1, 2011, and a further 4% payable from July 1, 2012. It also included additional measures to gradually increase pay in lower paid areas. There are currently large differences in pay between different agencies.
The claim also included some other APS-wide conditions, though these other issues would still be negotiated at the agency level.
The CPSU has called on the federal government to begin immediate negotiations on a new APS bargaining framework. Almost 100 agency agreements, covering 160,000 employees, will expire within eight months.
The union also wants the government to ensure that workplace delegates get appropriate time and facilities to keep staff informed and seek their feedback. Recently, a CPSU delegate in the Waymouth Street, Adelaide, branch of the Australian Taxation Office was given a written warning (potentially a step towards dismissal) for sending an email to 30 co-workers about a lunchtime CPSU meeting.
In response to the warning, the union organised a rally of more than 100 workers outside the office on October 28.