CPSU:Abbott Government Spin On Wage Offer Fools No One 

The CPSU has said today that the Abbott Government’s spin on the Treasury wage offer does not change the fact its bargaining policy remains deeply unpopular.

Thousands of public sector workers have taken part in strike action over the past few weeks to fight the Government’s attack on their rights, conditions and the take home pay.

CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood said: “Minister Abetz may think his current offers – including stripping rights and conditions worth significantly more than 1.5 per cent and even cuts to current take home pay for thousands of workers – are responsible and realistic but I would suggest Immigration, Border Force, Centrelink and Medicare workers who have walked off the job in droves are sending rather a strong signal they don’t agree.”

Ms Flood has said Treasury staff deserved better, but the Minister is fooling himself if he thinks a 58% vote in Treasury reflects the feeling across the public service.

“Even in Treasury, we’ve seen a fourfold increase in opposition to a substandard agreement – the No vote has increased from 10 per cent in 2011 to 42 per cent in 2015 – that is hardly a ringing endorsement of the Abbott Government’s bargaining policy.” said Ms Flood

“Minister Abetz continues to pretend this dispute is about bigger pay rises, but he knows that the stripping of rights, cuts to conditions, and for some, cuts to current pay, are the biggest problems with the Government’s bargaining policy.”

The CPSU have said it’s time to sit down for a sensible discussion on resolving these issues.