APS agreements progressing to employee ballots
Progress on agency agreements continues, with a range of agreements already
voted up or out for employee consideration and ballot.
-- See the results of completed agency votes.
Remaining agencies are moving steadily towards commencing their ballot
processes and CPSU representatives are busy finalising negotiations and
working through drafts line-by-line to ensure they accurately reflect
negotiated outcomes.
Employees in many of agencies have paid time CPSU meetings underway or
coming up soon. This is an important opportunity for staff to come together
on work time to go through the detail of the package on offer and discuss
with your fellow CPSU members your priorities post-bargaining.
Service wide bargaining has been a significant shift from how bargaining
has been done in the APS, and presented CPSU members with an historic
opportunity to work together across the APS to win new conditions
improvements, greater commonality, and greater equity in pay and
conditions.
Members have seized that opportunity and should be proud of the
achievements we have been able to win together, including:
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Genuinely negotiated pay outcomes, instead of service wide caps on
pay and the previous government’s ban on conditions improvements.
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A mechanism that moves Agency pay rates towards pay equity and a
significant rise in salaries for those at the bottom.
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Strong and consistent flexible work and working from home rights
that apply right across the APS.
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Job security protections, including 25% casual loading and
measures to ensure ongoing employment is the usual form of
employment.
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Conditions protected, with more generous entitlements maintained
where they already exceed newly negotiated common conditions, and
a “green light” from the APSC for agencies to return conditions
from policy to the enterprise agreement.
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Strong, clear, and enforceable consultation rights, and for the
first time, an APS consultative committee so that CPSU members
have a say on the big issues affecting the APS.
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Significant improvements to paid parental leave, including 18
weeks’ paid leave for the primary carer, and over the life of the
agreement, transitioning to 18 weeks’ paid leave for the secondary
carer.
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Clear representation rights, delegates’ rights, Respect@Work
protections, and a dispute procedure that will help ensure
enterprise agreements are followed in practice, with the help of
the Fair Work Commission where necessary.
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Support for First Nations employees, including ceremonial leave,
NAIDOC leave, and a definition of family that includes kinship.
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Uncapped, paid Family and Domestic Violence leave, 3 days’ paid
cultural leave, emergency services leave, and disaster support.
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Measures to support integrity in the APS, to ensure Robodebt never
happens again.
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Workload reviews, and EL TOIL established across the APS for the
first time.
While there were mixed views on pay, we shifted government’s position twice
and have increased the pay rises members will receive to 11.2% over three
years (11.6% compounded), a one-off payment equivalent to 0.92% of salary,
and realignment payments to establish a common APS pay rise date.
We have done this without delaying outcomes and whilst protecting the
conditions package.
Agency-specific negotiations
CPSU bargaining teams have achieved wins in a range of agencies, including
on:
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New and improved allowances
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Improvements to overtime provisions
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Increases to shift payments
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Studies assistance
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Higher duties entitlements
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Better access to flex leave
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Improved performance management rights
CPSU model clauses on agency-specific 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