The CPSU national executive might have another fight on its hands if it doesn’t agree to internal reform demands. Photo: File.
They’re back. Well, they never went away really. A breakaway group of the main public service union will challenge the leadership – again – if its demands are not met.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) faced a fully contested election for national executive positions almost two years ago (the first in two decades) when the Members United campaign, run by reform caucus Democracy4CPSU, challenged national secretary Melissa Donnelly and others.
It came during the CPSU’s negotiations with the Federal Government over APS wages and conditions in its enterprise bargaining round.
At the time, the grassroots MU group was highly critical of the CPSU’s close affiliation with the Australian Labor Party and Ms Donnelly’s membership of the ALP national executive.
Ms Donnelly and her team were re-elected by the CPSU membership.
Now, Democracy4CPSU has published an open letter to the incumbent CPSU leadership, offering to not contest executive positions next year in exchange for some reforms.
The group lost nationally in 2023, but has since celebrated victories when reform candidates defeated incumbent union leaderships in the CPSU Victorian branch and the Public Service Association of South Australia earlier this year.
Buoyed and even more determined, Democracy4CPSU has set its sights once more on the national executive.
It says Members United won’t challenge again if certain reform demands are met.
The group’s open letter is directed to the Melissa Donnelly Team and its factional grouping known as the Progressive Caucus.
The reforms demand a more assertive approach to bargaining and educating members about industrial action.
The group also wants a commitment to protected action ballots following the expiry of agreements; establishing a strike fund; introducing proportional representation in the union’s structures; and the direct election of regional secretaries.
Also on the demand list is the creation of a system for member-led petitions for all-member votes on key issues; using formal meeting procedure in members’ meetings; and giving notice of the governing council meetings and publishing meeting minutes to members.
Plus, the union leadership to issue clear statements condemning the genocide in Gaza.
“While we’re preparing to challenge the executive committee in 2026, this is a show of good faith that what we really want is reform and change,” a Democracy4CPSU spokesperson said.
“If the incumbent leadership agrees to these very basic reforms, then there’s no need for us to proceed with that challenge.
“These are sensible, basic proposals. It’s bread-and-butter unionism. If they’re not prepared to accept these reforms, we’d love the CPSU leadership to put the alternative case and explain why.”
The letter notes Members United enjoys the support of a “significant minority” of the union’s voting membership, and has a “natural alignment” with those members who voted against accepting below-inflation offers in recent bargaining rounds in member polls.
“Although you control the executive committee and most of the positions on the governing council, this is entirely because the CPSU has a winner-takes-all voting system, rather than a proportional representation system like in many other unions,” the letter states.
“Public sector unionists are responding to calls for democratic, industrially assertive and member-driven unions.
“We consider victories [in the Victorian and South Australian branches of the CPSU] signal increased appetite for bold and democratic unionism in the CPSU, and that momentum is on our side.”
The letter states Members United is much better organised than in 2023.
“We have created an independent base of member power across the union, training members and delegates to build connections, build bargaining power, and show what is possible for our membership and community.”
Region has sought a response from the CPSU but it is not commenting on internal union issues.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
