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ABS - CPSU member vote is now open!

13 August 2009, 12:17pm

Your union is seeking direction from CPSU members on whether we settle on the proposed ABS collective agreement or commit to fight on.

Having considered progress to date and the significant risks of further delay, your ABS Section Council recommends that members vote YES to settle the agreement.

We need to hear from you. All CPSU members are encouraged to vote online here before COB Tuesday 18 August.

Progress against key settlement issues

Issue	March	Now
Pay	3.5% for 1 year only	4% upon commencement and 3% 2010/11
Pay points in salary range	6	Improved to 5 commencing 2010/11
Performance management	Considering review	Agreed to a joint Review of PMS
General salary increase	GSI would be contingent upon ABS-assessed performance discretion	Guaranteed GSI for all ABS employees
Dispute settlement procedures	Access to independent arbitration but only after mandatory mediation	Improved, streamlined process to allow quicker resolution of disputes by FWA
Consultation over guideline changes	ABS says it was committed to consultation	ABS will ‘genuinely’ seek to reach agreement and provide reasonable time and facilities
Length of agreement	1 year only	Expiry 30/6/2011 in line with CPSU campaign for APS Framework agreement
Form of agreement	Union Collective Agreement	Extend and vary to existing Employee Collective Agreement to which CPSU is party

What else have we achieved?

All conditions maintained or improved
Recognition of official travel as work time
Guaranteed 15.4% super regardless of choice of fund and equivalent allowance for employees over 70
Reasonable time off for EL employees who work in excess of their normal hours for sustained periods

Where does the offer fall short of what we deserve?

ABS salaries still a long way short of the APS median
Offer of a sign-on bonus withdrawn, despite the delay to the CA being caused by ABS
ABS can still change guidelines without our agreement. You can see the entire draft agreement here

Difficult obstacles pose risks and consequences to ABS employees

CPSU members’ commitment to support your union has achieved outcomes in the face of:

ABS refusing to settle on the agreement because savings weren’t realised from a job cuts process that the AIRC ordered ABS to stop
Impending new government policy requiring heightened scrutiny on pay offers above 3% by DoFD and existing policy against back-pay
ABS resistance to commit to any further improvement to the pay offer
Australian Statistician stating last November that 3.5% for 1 year was all ABS would offer.

What happens now?

Vote online here before COB Tuesday 18 August
Not yet a member? Join up to join in. You can join online here.

What does it mean?

YES – I endorse CPSU settling on the proposed agreement	NO – I reject the proposed agreement
ABS Section Council recommended position	Section Council considers the existing negotiations have exhausted currently possible improvements and that it is not viable to vote against the offer without committing to participate in an escalated industrial campaign (e.g. industrial action)
Recognises improvements on our settlement issues and that our Bargaining Team has done all that is possible in winning significant improvements from the employer	Inevitable delay to finalising a new agreement and no guarantee of any better outcome
Acknowledges that the proposed agreement still falls short of significant aspects of our claim	It is likely that ABS would abandon ‘extend and vary’ talks with CPSU and commence Enterprise Agreement negotiations under the Fair Work Act
Recognises that employees have already been subject to delay in receiving a pay rise and will be subject to further delay if bargaining must re-commence under new legislation	Pay offer will be subject to new government policy requiring heightened scrutiny on pay offers above 3% by DoFD as reported by the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure
Minimises risk to employees of delayed settlement, including that of a lower pay offer	Risk that ABS will fall into line with lower pay offers such as 3% at Infrastructure and 3.25% at ATO
Getting on with the job of applying the new agreement including the performance management review	Estimated pay rise – timing depends on levels of staff support for an escalated industrial campaign, ABS action, and staff willingness to vote NO in an all-staff vote for a new Enterprise Agreement and endure further delay
Members encouraged to support the CPSU campaign for an APS Framework Agreement to address inequities in pay, classification and conditions across the APS
Estimated pay rise - October

Section Council recommendation

ABS Section Council, in consideration of the ABS Office Collective Agreement, recognises that:

the Bargaining Team has done all that is possible in winning further improvements from the employer
we have gained improvements in CPSU's settlement issues
workers have already been subject to a delay in receiving a pay rise and will be subject to a further delay if bargaining must be recommenced under new legislation
there are significant risks to workers if we delay settlement, including that of a lower pay offer

ABS Section Council therefore seeks that CPSU:

put the proposed ABS Office CA to an endorsement vote of CPSU members
recommends that members vote Yes to endorse the CA and direct EC to settle the agreement
urges members to support the CPSU campaign for an APS Framework Agreement which addresses inequities in pay and conditions across the APS.

Contact details

David Hermolin
Lead organiser
Ph: 1300 137 636
david.hermolin@cpsu.org.au

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