Department of Employment and Workplace Relations staff to consider joining strikes over APS-wide pay deal

The Community and Public Sector Union last week knocked back a second pay offer of 11.2 per cent over three years, and scrambled to organise protected action ballots in several APS agencies.

Members in Services Australia, which had already approved action in July, will strike on Monday, while those in the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and DEWR will vote on whether to take similar action. Ballots lodged with the Fair Work Commission have outlined options for stoppages up to one hour, and up to 24 hours.

The Australian Services Union, which represents staff in the tax office, has also rejected the offer, an increase of 0.7 percentage points on a proposal made in May. The offer is the outcome of the first round of service-wide bargaining since 1995, and would affect salaries across 102 government agencies.

But the Public Service Minister and the government's chief negotiator showed no signs of budging on Thursday. Senator Gallagher said the government was "looking to resolve APS bargaining as soon as possible, so public servants can receive their pay rise and access improved conditions".

"We have responded to union concerns by revising the pay offer to an 11.2 per cent pay rise over three years as well as a significant improvement to conditions including enhancements to parental leave, and a boost to flexible working arrangements," she said.

"Decisions about protected action are a matter for the union but the government has bargained in good faith and increased our original wages offer."

The first scheduled pay rise for public servants was not due until March under the offer, which detailed a 4 per cent increase in 2024, followed by 3.8 per cent in 2025 and 3.4 per cent in 2026.

The government has also tabled a pay equity model, which would lift the salaries of the lowest paid public servants across 83 agencies, and reached broad support on 52 common conditions, such as increased paid parental leave, and flexible work.

A spokesperson for the Australian Public Service Commission, which has facilitated the pay talks, said "the Commonwealth remains disappointed with the CPSU's decision" but respected employees' right to take protected industrial action.

"The chief negotiator remains available for negotiations with unions and employee bargaining representatives if they wish to reconsider the offer."

The CPSU rejected the pay offer despite narrow support for it in a poll of about 15,000 members.

The results of the poll, in which 51.9 per cent supported the offer and 48.1 per cent opposed it, did not show "clear support" the CPSU's national secretary Melissa Donnelly has said.

"The conditions package that has been negotiated contains industry-leading working from home rights, an increase to casual loading, significant improvements to paid parental leave and enhanced job security provisions," she said on Thursday.

"But APS employees have been clear in communicating that they want to see the government improve the pay offer."

The national secretary earlier in the week warned that agencies participating in industrial action would be "a list that will grow as needed".

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