Members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) have rejected a 10.5 per cent pay offer tabled by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC).
National Secretary of CPSU, Melissa Donnelly said an overwhelming 86 per cent of the 15,000 CPSU members who voted in a ballot, voted against the offer.
“Given the decade long attack on APS employees’ wages and conditions and the skyrocketing cost of living, it is abundantly clear that APS employees are looking for something better,” Ms Donnelly said.
“From the outset, CPSU members have been clear that they want a fair deal and they want it delivered on time,” she said.
“They want to see the government bring a pay rise to the table that acknowledges what they have endured over the past decade, one that takes steps to address the attraction and retention crisis, and one that will go some way in easing current financial pressures.
“Our members have clearly communicated that a 10.5% pay offer achieves none of those goals.”
Ms Donnelly said CPSU was working on its next steps, one of which has been to lodge an application with the Fair Work Commission for a protected action ballot in Services Australia.
She said the application, if approved, would give CPSU members in Services Australia the opportunity to vote on taking protected industrial action.
“This is a strategic decision that puts our members in a position where they can increase pressure on the APSC and the Federal Government to deliver better outcomes in bargaining if necessary,” the National Secretary said.
