The Community and Public Service Union (CPSU) has welcomed a decision by the ACT Government to launch an audit of casual and temporary positions in the ACT Public Service with a view to reclassifying them as permanent.
The ACT Regional Secretary of the CPSU, Brooke Muscat-Bentley said that following a long running CPSU campaign, the ACT Government had advised the union it was acting decisively to tackle the over-use of insecure employment arrangements.
“The ACT Government will immediately establish a taskforce to identify workers who should be permanently employed,” Ms Muscat-Bentley said.
“The decision follows through on commitments in the ACT Budget to minimise the use of labour-hire, casual, temporary, contract employment and outsourcing in the ACT Public Service.”
She claimed the decision as a hugely important win for the ACT PS workers who provided essential public services in the ACT.
“These people deserve quality, permanent employment directly with the ACT Public Service, and this commitment means the CPSU can make sure they get it,” Ms Muscat-Bentley said.
“We believe thousands of ACT workers stand to benefit.”
She said the union knew that far too many ACT Public Service workers were employed casually or through other forms of insecure work, particularly in key areas like ACT Health.
She said the CPSU would be using its position on the taskforce to see it put the principles of the commitment into action quickly.
“Workers in insecure employment should be given decent, permanent jobs without delay to secure their livelihoods and ensure we have the kind of committed workforce that delivers the best services,” Ms Muscat-Bentley said.
“We want workers out of limbo and in secure jobs within weeks not sometime in 2019.”
