The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has launched a campaign aimed at putting an end to outsourced Government employment services.
The union seeks the creation of a modern Commonwealth Employment Service (CES).
National Secretary of the CPSU, Melissa Donnelly said the CES was a hugely successful Federal Government employment service that was privatised in 1998.
“In privatising employment services, the Howard Government of the time argued competition, through a large number of community-based providers, would ensure good quality services for job seekers and value for money for taxpayers,” Ms Donnelly (pictured) said.
“The reality couldn’t be further from this promise, with just a handful of multinationals dominating the space, making enormous profits, and failing to deliver outcomes for job seekers and local employers looking to hire new staff.”
She said Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese acknowledged the shortfalls recently when he remarked that “some of the system that’s been established by our predecessors is about ticking the boxes rather than providing that support”.
“The current model is underpinned by an ineffective and punitive compliance framework that the CPSU argues does more harm than good and has called for it to immediately be abandoned,” Ms Donnelly said.
“A modern, fit-for-purpose CES would deliver better outcomes for job seekers, the Government, taxpayers and the employees who deliver these services.”
She said the CPSU was proud to launch its campaign to Bring Back the CES and revitalise employment services.
