Members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) in Services Australia are gearing up to take strategic protected industrial action to address their concerns over current pay and pay equity offers. This action comes as CPSU members across the Australian Public Service (APS) call on the Albanese Labor Government to improve pay in the current round of service-wide agreement bargaining.

CPSU’s demands for fair pay and pay equity

While the CPSU has achieved significant wins for APS employees in areas like working from home and protecting existing conditions, its members are demanding more from the Albanese Labor Government concerning wages. 

Thousands of CPSU members have participated in meetings across APS workplaces, unanimously voting to call for the following improvements in the current pay offer:

• Offering fair pay increases: CPSU members are advocating for fair and substantial pay increases to address the stagnation in wages and meet the government’s commitment to getting wages moving.
• Progress on APS pay equity: The CPSU is pushing for real progress on pay equity within the APS, aiming to address disparities and ensure equal remuneration for employees performing similar roles.
• Timely delivery of pay increases with backpay: Members are urging the government to ensure that pay increases are delivered on time and, where necessary, include backpay to compensate for delayed adjustments.

Auxiliary code ban: The planned industrial action

In pursuit of their demands, CPSU members in Services Australia are set to take an ‘Auxiliary Code Ban’ starting from Tuesday. This form of industrial action will not directly impact customers seeking assistance from Services Australia, but it will significantly disrupt the agency’s staff monitoring systems.

During the two-week action, staff in Services Australia will refrain from entering prescribed codes used by management to track the tasks performed by individual employees at any given time. The ban on using these auxiliary codes will challenge the internal monitoring and data collection processes, thereby expressing the union’s frustration with the existing micro-management culture within the agency.

The CPSU has assured the public that the planned industrial action will not affect frontline services. The action focuses solely on internal management systems, not the services delivered to customers. The CPSU aims to send a clear message to the government that its members are serious about securing a fair outcome on pay and are prepared to take necessary measures to achieve it.

As the APS grapples with the need to address wage stagnation and ensure equal remuneration, the government’s response will be crucial in determining the resolution of the issue. The CPSU’s stand highlights the determination of public sector employees to secure better working conditions and fair pay that aligns with the government’s commitment to getting wages moving.

Jomar Teves

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After four years in business school and working for multinational clients, Jomar believes he can improve the world through his writings via Public Spectrum, by informing the public on the latest news and updates happening around the government and society. Jomar has eight years experience as a writer and has a degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Marketing.

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