National Secretary Nadine Flood (centre) with APS bargaining trainees - 2 Feb 2011
The CPSU is urging the Gillard Government to get moving on bargaining for more than 150,000 public sector workers.
The union’s call follows the much-delayed release of a new Australian Public Service (APS) Bargaining Framework on Monday 31 January.
Government’s agenda, at last
The new framework sets out the Government’s agenda for the APS. While the Government has ruled out service-wide bargaining at this time, it is clear they want to impose more consistent conditions across the APS.
To this end, they have released draft common terms and conditions which agencies will be required to seek in new agreements. A CPSU analysis of the new framework is now available for members.
CPSU ready for action
In October last year, CPSU members developed and endorsed a comprehensive, service-wide bargaining claim. Right now hundreds of CPSU delegates are attending special training sessions and are ready to begin the push for better pay and conditions.
Government dragging its feet
By contrast to the union, the Government’s preparations - including the final release of the new framework - are at least six months behind where they would normally be. There is growing concern that these delays will limit the time available for negotiations and affect pay rises.
In this context, we are very concerned about the Government's plan to disallow back-pay in agreements.
Pay gaps remain for now
While the Government’s new framework is not all bad, the limited action on fixing pay gaps is very disappointing. However the CPSU remains committed to pursuing fair common conditions and tackling pay inequity over the longer term.
With your help, it can be done
CPSU delegates and members will be campaigning vigorously to achieve as much as possible of our service-wide claim. With more than 70 agreements due to expire within six months, a tough economic environment and a new framework, it has never been more important to join the union, support your delegates and get involved.
Posted by:Joey Briggs - 7 Feb 2011, 2:22pm One thing we need is to stop losing our conditions every agreement. Trouble is Labor doesn't want to be fair. Don't let Labor use the floods as an excuse not to give us a fair go. They should have been properly prepared, disasters have happened throughout history so they can't claim that they are absolutely unexpected. The Government won't miss out on its above inflation pay rises so why should we miss out on a fair deal?! And if the Government is getting pay rises they shouldn't be funded by giving us less.
Posted by:Beware Hardline Liberal IR Policy - 7 Feb 2011, 10:51am From the Australian 4th February 2011
Robb pushes harder line on Labor's 'retrograde' IR laws - Patricia Karvelas
The Coalition's finance spokesman, Andrew Robb, has ramped up his push for the opposition to adopt a more hardline industrial relations policy in a speech
delivered at a young Liberal's convention.
Mr Robb, who has been pushing the issue more stridently than Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, delivered a broad-ranging speech on the need for productivity
reforms, and said workplace laws must be on the agenda.
"The concern that is being conveyed by both business and employees is that the Rudd-Gillard government has not only removed Work Choices, but has reversed
key elements of reforms introduced as far back as the Howard government reforms in 1996, and even elements of Paul Keating's reforms in 1992", he said on the weekend. "These discarded reforms are considered to have contributed to the strong productivity performance through the early years of
this century, and laid the foundation for the 22 per cent real increases in wages over the Howard years."
Mr Robb said there were concerns the Gillard changes had gone well beyond Work Choices
'Certainly the swagger of the unions has returned' - Andrew Robb Opposition Finance Spokesman
and were encouraging a return to the "inflexible, centralised, union-dominated industrial relations culture of the 1980s - the antithesis of
productivity".
"Certainly the swagger of the unions has returned," he said.
"Concern is being expressed the Gillard changes have tipped the balance too far the other way, to the point the Fair Work Act has made the system neither
simpler, fairer nor more productive.
"Employers are finding flexibility diminishing, compliance challenging and costly, and a system that is interfering in the capacity of
businesses to reward and organise their workforce to encourage innovation and competitiveness,: Mr Robb said.
"If we confirm that the changes have in fact tipped the balance too far, we will present necessary changes for consideration at the next election", he said.
Mr Abbott has left open the possibility of a new Coalition policy that addresses problems in industrial law while standing by his claim that
business has not overwhelmed him with complaints about the system.
As tension builds in the Coalition over his handling of industrial relations policy, Mr Robb has continued his push for a tougher line.
Posted by:Jason - 4 Feb 2011, 7:39pm Natural disasters should not stop employees fighting for what they deserve. If we back down because of the floods, then we give the government every reason to use every future calamity as an excuse to hold out on workers.
Also, on a tangent, isn't it about time we acknowledge that climate change is here and now, and despite years of lobbying and protest, those responsible for it have done nothing to stop it? The workers shouldn't suffer for their inaction. Get the coal industry to foot the bill for their mess - El Nino or not.
Keep up the fight Nadine. The CPSU has come true in recent years, and I'm proud to be a member of a leading force for change in this country. Behind you all the way.
Posted by:Jeff - 4 Feb 2011, 3:50pm I think the governement is breaching its own Fair Work Act legislation by failing to Bargain in "Good Faith". I urge the CPSU to make application for a Protected Action Ballot of members. I'm sure strike action would engender some action on the Governments part.
Posted by:Bryan - 4 Feb 2011, 10:33am One would have thought that a delay in bargaining amounts to exceptional circumstances.
One thing we need is to stop losing our conditions every agreement. Trouble is Labor doesn't want to be fair. Don't let Labor use the floods as an excuse not to give us a fair go. They should have been properly prepared, disasters have happened throughout history so they can't claim that they are absolutely unexpected. The Government won't miss out on its above inflation pay rises so why should we miss out on a fair deal?! And if the Government is getting pay rises they shouldn't be funded by giving us less.
From the Australian 4th February 2011 Robb pushes harder line on Labor's 'retrograde' IR laws - Patricia Karvelas The Coalition's finance spokesman, Andrew Robb, has ramped up his push for the opposition to adopt a more hardline industrial relations policy in a speech delivered at a young Liberal's convention. Mr Robb, who has been pushing the issue more stridently than Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, delivered a broad-ranging speech on the need for productivity reforms, and said workplace laws must be on the agenda. "The concern that is being conveyed by both business and employees is that the Rudd-Gillard government has not only removed Work Choices, but has reversed key elements of reforms introduced as far back as the Howard government reforms in 1996, and even elements of Paul Keating's reforms in 1992", he said on the weekend. "These discarded reforms are considered to have contributed to the strong productivity performance through the early years of this century, and laid the foundation for the 22 per cent real increases in wages over the Howard years." Mr Robb said there were concerns the Gillard changes had gone well beyond Work Choices 'Certainly the swagger of the unions has returned' - Andrew Robb Opposition Finance Spokesman and were encouraging a return to the "inflexible, centralised, union-dominated industrial relations culture of the 1980s - the antithesis of productivity". "Certainly the swagger of the unions has returned," he said. "Concern is being expressed the Gillard changes have tipped the balance too far the other way, to the point the Fair Work Act has made the system neither simpler, fairer nor more productive. "Employers are finding flexibility diminishing, compliance challenging and costly, and a system that is interfering in the capacity of businesses to reward and organise their workforce to encourage innovation and competitiveness,: Mr Robb said. "If we confirm that the changes have in fact tipped the balance too far, we will present necessary changes for consideration at the next election", he said. Mr Abbott has left open the possibility of a new Coalition policy that addresses problems in industrial law while standing by his claim that business has not overwhelmed him with complaints about the system. As tension builds in the Coalition over his handling of industrial relations policy, Mr Robb has continued his push for a tougher line.
Natural disasters should not stop employees fighting for what they deserve. If we back down because of the floods, then we give the government every reason to use every future calamity as an excuse to hold out on workers. Also, on a tangent, isn't it about time we acknowledge that climate change is here and now, and despite years of lobbying and protest, those responsible for it have done nothing to stop it? The workers shouldn't suffer for their inaction. Get the coal industry to foot the bill for their mess - El Nino or not. Keep up the fight Nadine. The CPSU has come true in recent years, and I'm proud to be a member of a leading force for change in this country. Behind you all the way.
I think the governement is breaching its own Fair Work Act legislation by failing to Bargain in "Good Faith". I urge the CPSU to make application for a Protected Action Ballot of members. I'm sure strike action would engender some action on the Governments part.
One would have thought that a delay in bargaining amounts to exceptional circumstances.