CPSU members have been at the heart of our service-wide bargaining campaign. Member feedback has been strong throughout bargaining.
Today, the CPSU member-only poll has closed, and it shows the Government’s service-wide pay and conditions offer does not have clear support from CPSU members. Your elected union leaders meet this morning to consider the results and next steps.
Without strong support from members, our union cannot accept the package on offer. More than 15,000 members had their say through the poll with a very close 51.9% voting yes and 48.1% voting no.
What is clear from members’ feedback through workplace meetings, webinars, email responses, and conversations is that while there is strong support for the conditions we have negotiated, a significant number of CPSU members expect the government to do better on pay.
What happens now?
Negotiations continue with your CPSU service-wide bargaining team meeting with the APSC tomorrow and will deliver this message on behalf of APS members.
In workplaces, CPSU representatives and members will move quickly to ramp up pressure for an improved pay offer:
- In Services Australia, where we already have taken protected industrial action, members will consider the escalation of their actions.
- CPSU will quickly move to lodge further protected action ballots in a number of agencies, after consultation with your workplace leaders.
- Across the APS, CPSU members can send a message to Government about why they need to get public sector wages moving.
The Government committed to being a model employer and to get wages moving, and if it wants to keep that commitment, now is the time to act.
CPSU members want to see this resolved as quickly as possible. Government can and should move quickly and decisively to resolve the outstanding issue of pay.
Agency-specific negotiations are underway
Some topics have now been “released” for agency-level bargaining, which means CPSU bargaining teams can negotiate those topics directly with agencies. CPSU model clauses on these topics are provided for members.
Background
In October 2022, the Government announced its intention to undertake service wide bargaining in the APS. Since then, CPSU members gave detailed feedback on what they want to see when it comes to both pay and conditions, and this was formalised in the CPSU Service-wide bargaining claim and endorsed by CPSU members.
This claim forms the bargaining position of CPSU members in negotiations with the APSC in service wide bargaining.
Service wide bargaining is underway - stay informed and involved
The CPSU service wide bargaining team has been negotiating with the APSC weekly on behalf of members. Throughout the process, CPSU members have received weekly updates on the progress of negotiations as well as opportunities to have their say and get involved in activities to support their bargaining claims.
CPSU members have been able to track the progress of negotiations on our bargaining claim with our Service-wide Bargaining Scorecard which has been updated following negotiations each week. To view the latest scorecard, simply sign in and scroll to the Members-only content section on this page.
You can also download and display materials for your workplace to encourage your colleagues to get on board with the CPSU team.
Meet your bargaining team
CPSU members are represented in service wide negotiations by a strong, experienced team of workplace representatives.
Between them, the team has decades of experience representing APS members and is deeply committed to getting the outcomes you need and deserve.
- Emma White, Services Australia
- Evan Walton, Department of Defence
- Jo Kerr, National Indigenous Australians Agency
- Kelly Miller, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Sam Roehr, ATO
- Lee Forace, Department of Social Services
- Sarah Dinsmore, Department of Education