The silence has been broken between the two sides of the federal public sector wage deal.

The Community and Public Sector Union has met with the Public Service Minister for the first time in nearly two years.

Public service Minister Michaelia Cash held peace talks to break stalemate between the federal government and much of its workforce this week.

Senator Cash had a real, live, face-to-face meeting with CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood in Melbourne.

But the floodgates of reasonable negotiation do not appear to have flung open.

The union is being tight-lipped on what was said at the sit-down, except to say it was a generally positive interaction.

“We will not be providing a running commentary on a dialogue with Government,” the union leader told Fairfax reporters.

“We are hoping that Government is able to consider the concerns of public sector employees and agencies and make sensible changes to their existing policy.

“But I guess after 18 months, it's positive that they're willing to talk.”

Ms Flood said that she wants to keep communications active.

“We're seeking an ongoing dialogue with government to resolve this as quickly and effectively as possible.”

It is a tiny victory for the 152,000 public servants that still have no certainty about any future deals.

While the negotiations drag on seemingly ad infinitum, the workers stay on the same level as they were when their previous deal expired.

Still, tens of thousands of workers in large departments have refused petty deals made under the Coalition's tough bargaining framework.

Sceptics may suggest the protracted negotiations are some form of public sector cost-saving measure

The next big vote come next Monday, with over 2000 public servants at Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's department voting on a proposal that is so divisive, departmental managerst and the union cannot even agree on the numbers being offered.

Ms Flood says the long-stymied talks show a need for changes to the government's public sector bargaining policy.

“CPSU is urging that Government move quickly towards a sensible resolution that allows agencies and employees to reach fair, reasonable and realistic agreements,” she said.

“Of course, as a democratic, representative organisation, our union's decisions are made through engaging with and reporting back to our elected structures, delegates and members about their concerns and possible solutions.”