ABS moving slowly to accept your views/apply new Government policy
10 April 2008, 10:04am
Your union has met with ABS management at the latest meeting of the PSOWG. At the meeting, management responded to strong union representation that your pay and conditions must be improved.
This is indicative of the growing support many of you have shown for your union. There is still a long way to go, however, before we achieve our goal of a union collective agreement that achieves our bargaining claim.
What happened at the meeting?
Instead of cooperating with our desire to progress negotiations for a new collective agreement, management proposed to supplement current CA terms and conditions through a 12 month Determination under the ABS Act. Management has not told us what would be in the Determination. Your union believes this is a disappointing response and expects ABS to better respect your views and comply with the new Australian Government Employment Bargaining Framework.
Clear staff view for a UCA
88% of respondents in the recent CPSU bargaining survey agreed or strongly agreed that the CPSU pursue a Union Collective Agreement. Despite this, the Australia Statistician maintains a predisposition towards a non-union Employee Collective Agreement. CPSU is writing to ABS requesting that they respect your views and commence negotiating a Union Collective Agreement with CPSU immediately.
New bargaining framework
CPSU has further concerns about how ABS is applying the new AGE Bargaining Framework.
The Agency Head will genuinely consult employees on the form of Collective Agreement they would prefer for the Agency. Where there is no clear view, an Agency Head, employees or their representative may test the views of employees on the form of Collective Agreement for the Agency.
It is Australian Government policy that terms and conditions for non-SES employees be negotiated at each Agency in separate Collective Agreements…a Determination or a common law agreement is not a satisfactory alternative to a Collective Agreement to set terms and conditions in the medium to long term.
Union position
Your union has called on ABS to accept that:
88% support for a Union Collective Agreement is a clear view of employees on the form of Collective Agreement; and
a 12 month Determination is not a satisfactory alternative to commencing genuine negotiations immediately.
What happens now?
Your union is responding to the Australian Statistician this week and is continuing to work with delegates on how to proceed.
We need your help
ABS has consistently refused to allow the CPSU to insert material into your workload allocations. As a result we are only able to communicate with Interviewers who are CPSU members, and those Interviewers who have provided their details (i.e. home email address) to us.
If you are aware of other Interviewers who you think would like to receive CPSU information and are not, please encourage them to contact us, or better still ask them to join the CPSU.
Your union can be contacted via your local CPSU Interviewer delegate, or by calling 1300 137 636.
What do I have to do?
Share this bulletin with another Interviewer
Encourage your co-workers to join CPSU.
Questions or comments?
Contact your CPSU Interviewer delegate, or your organiser Andrew Smith on andrew.smith@cpsu.org.au.
