By Steve Rogers
CANBERRA — National officials in the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) are anxiously watching the outcome of by-elections taking place throughout May. In recent months, widespread criticism has emerged of the union's involvement in a planned restructure of the public service. In addition, large federal government departments are expecting a savaging in the May 9 federal budget.
Of particular concern to many public servants has been the national union's sweeping endorsement of most changes to the public service review, including grudging support for the loss of job security. Major job losses are expected in the Department of Social Security and the Department of Employment, Education and Training, and many DEET staff are angered by the union's support for the loss of hundreds of jobs in Canberra.
By-elections for two national positions and an ACT assistant secretary position follow the departure of national leadership supporter Celia Pollard from the union late last year. Voting continues until May 30.
Two honorary positions, deputy national president and national executive member, are being nationally contested. The ALP group, which currently runs the national union, is fielding South Australian official Margaret Sexton for the deputy national president position and Abbie Piper of the union's tax division as national executive member. In a letter to Canberra DEET staff, these candidates gave a commitment to "protecting your job". It would seem that neither candidate is aware of the national deal under which hundreds of jobs are to be cut from DEET in the ACT.
Alternative candidates are being fielded by CPSU National Challenge. ACT branch secretary Cath Garvan is standing for deputy national president and Victorian branch national councillor Derek Macpherson for national executive member.
National Challenge is standing on a four-point platform: fight job cuts and privatisation, defend and extend the public sector; win real wage justice and improved conditions, not agency bargaining and other trade-offs; build a democratic union to involve, and return power to, the membership; and direct union resources to membership needs by creating an effective union structure.
In her election material, Garvan says: "I have been a critic of the current administration not only because of its direction on a number of major industrial issues, for example agency bargaining and the level of services to members, but because of the way it has operated in an exclusive manner".
Macpherson states: "I am committed to campaigning for a more open, democratic and united CPSU, and ensuring that when major decisions are taken, all points of view are presented to members in order to promote informed, democratic decision making. Currently, the national executive consists of a single faction, the so-called 'Progressive' caucus. Compromised by their closeness to the ALP, they have collaborated with the government agenda of staff cutting and attacks on working conditions, done closed-door deals and stifled any debate of alternative viewpoints."
In the ACT branch, a three-way contest has developed for Pollard's full-time assistant secretary position. CPSU Challenge, the group which won the majority of ACT branch executive positions in late 1993 on an anti-agency bargaining platform, is fielding Greg Adamson for the position. Adamson is currently senior deputy president of the branch, and a workplace delegate at the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
In his campaign literature, Adamson states: "Working in an organisation which has suffered major government cuts since the 1993 federal budget, I have a strong sense of the need to defend jobs and conditions for the sake of our members and of the services we provide. Staff at AQIS were shocked, but not surprised, by the recent Adelaide meat poisoning tragedy which underlines the threat to all Australians through poorly conceived governmental cost cutting measures.
"I work as a SITOC [Senior Information Technology Officer Grade C] in the Information Technology area. This experience has led me to believe that the union needs to focus on issues such as outsourcing. In addition to IT, personnel, finance and operational areas are all being investigated for outsourcing and other forms of privatisation. The May budget is expected to continue this trend. A common experience has been a loss of jobs and conditions accompanied by a reduction in reliability and an increase in costs for those outsourced services.
"I have played an active role in resisting agency bargaining, which has been accompanied by a loss of jobs and conditions. ACT members have led the union in opposing this disruptive and inequitable system."
Other candidates are Karen Mow and Mark Lott, both standing as independents. Mow is closely identified with the national leadership and the Alliance group, which lost office in the ACT at the end of 1993.
Mow's position reflects the difficulties of the ALP faction which leads the Alliance grouping. Following the loss of their CPSU positions in 1993, this group went on to lose both the ACT government and the seat of Canberra early in 1995. These losses have prompted a national ALP investigation into the functioning of the Canberra ALP branch.
Not surprisingly, Mow has avoided mentioning any links to this group in the current elections. She is, however, campaigning in support of agency bargaining, stating that "agency bargaining should continue for conditions enhancements".
The majority experience of ACT CPSU members has been that agency bargaining has either led to the loss of conditions, or meant that improvements, such as carer's leave, are available for only some staff.
Lott is based in the Australian Tax Office. While standing as an independent, he has expressed support for a range of CPSU Challenge policies, and is exchanging preferences with Adamson.
ACT branch secretary Catherine Garvan and assistant secretary Bronwyn Taylor are supporting Adamson, writing: "The ACT branch has operated effectively over the last 17 months since we took office. It is important for full-time officials to work as a team and act in a united way in the interests of our union. We believe that Greg Adamson has the ability to contribute to the work of the branch. His election to the position of assistant branch secretary will enable us to build on our record of achievement and ensure that the culture of activism, unity and responsibility within our union is strengthened."
For further information about these campaigns call: CPSU National Challenge: Catherine Garvan (06) 257 4900 or Derek Macpherson (03) 811 9126. ACT CPSU Challenge: Greg Adamson (06) 272 5479.