AFMA agreement making at critical point

Many key issues in our claim have not been agreed - e.g. improved maternity leave, better guidelines on flexible working hours, fair and indexed allowance rates  - and management continue to try to remove key conditions from the agreement and into unenforceable and non guaranteed policy.

Tomorrow CPSU attends the latest WBT meeting. CPSU will make it clear to your employer that;

• We expect AFMA to now table a good pay offer. Our claim is for 5%.
• We need a clear and detailed response from AFMA on each of our member endorsed claims.
• We must set a clear and time bound process to complete negotiations and deliver a fair agreement for CPSU members.

Recognising your strong suit in pay negotiations

A strong argument for improved pay for all AFMA staff is the fact that AFMA pay rates lag behind those in comparable agencies. Management want us to give up that argument in regards to Darwin based staff - who are paid much less than Customs workers doing similar work. If we give up that argument for Darwin staff we then weaken the pay and conditions comparison arguments for all other staff.

Something we've consistently heard is the argument that improved conditions for Darwin based sea going workers cannot be agreed to because it would mean a lower pay offer for Canberra staff. CPSU knows this isn't the case, given AFMA's budget position; and rejects its use as a divisive negotiating tactic.

CPSU believes that to get the best deal for all staff we need to make a strong and united argument that; - AFMA staff - wherever they work - perform work important to the Australian community. - In a tight labour market AFMA must provide the pay and conditions to retain and attract the skilled staff to perform that work. - AFMA has the budget to deliver fair outcomes on our claims. - This new agreement must ensure that AFMA staff have pay and conditions that are the equal of comparable agencies.

Tell us what you think

Should we accept this argument and risk an agreement that satisfies no-one? Or should we push for a fair outcome for all staff - and one that ensures the work of AFMA staff is recognised and rewarded as just as important as the work of similar agencies? We want to hear from you - email us at borders@cpsu.org.au

What happens next?

CPSU will provide a full report after the WBT meeting. We will then convene meetings to consider the outcomes and propose a course of action to resolve any outstanding matters.

As we get to this critical stage of the bargaining, we've been making progress, but not yet enough to achieve the objectives you voted on in May. Your bargainers and reps can't achieve these goals unless we continue to grow our base of support in the workplace. If you're not yet a member, or you know of people who have been putting it off, your support has never been more critical. Join the union today and look after your colleagues.