Fair Work rejects unfair deal
The Federal Government is feeling the sting of two more rejected pay deals.
Workers at the Fair Work Ombudsman and The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) have rejected pay deals with a decisive vote against.
Both agencies recorded a 68 per cent no-vote.
Seventy-seven per cent of ASIC’s 1750 employees were involved in the ballot, as were 84.5 per cent of the Fair Work Ombudsman’s 790 staff.
It comes just weeks after four other decisive no-votes - at Veterans' Affairs, IP Australia, Human Services and Health.
One of the only breakthroughs in recent pay talks has been at the Department of Social Services.
“A majority of Fair Work Ombudsman staff have voted against a proposed new Enterprise Agreement,” a Fair Work statement said.
“The Agency will now consider its options for future bargaining with staff and will re-engage with its employees in due course.
“In the meantime, the Fair Work Ombudsman Enterprise Agreement 2011-2014 continues to apply.”
ASIC spokesperson Miriam Phillips supplied a much shorter statement when asked by Fairfax reporters.
“No comment,” Ms Phillips said.
CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said it was two more “nails in the coffin” of the LNP government's public sector bargaining policies.
“Another day and another two government agencies send strong messages to the Government that its unfair and unworkable bargaining policy must be scrapped,” Ms Flood said.
“ASIC and Fair Work Ombudsman staff join Veterans' Affairs, IP Australia, Health and the government's largest agency, Human Services, in overwhelmingly rejecting the Government's attack on their rights, conditions, real wages and for some, current take home pay.
“In the last two weeks, six out of seven agreements have been voted down by public sector workers – these are nails in the coffin of the Governments unfair, unrealistic and unworkable bargaining policy.”
More strike action is planned among Immigration and Border Force officials, while Agriculture and quarantine workers also preparing for more strikes soon.
Human Services, ATO, and ABS staff say they are preparing to launch half-day strikes around the country.