Regional public sector workers ready to fight for better conditions and pay

Services Australia, the Australian Tax Office and Home Affairs have joined the Community and Public Sector Union and Civil Service Association’s call to overhaul pay and conditions for regional public sector workers in a bid to tackle the regional staff retention crisis. Last week the CPSU/CSA begun bargaining for a replacement of the Public Sector Civil Service Association Agreement 2022. The sought-after changes include receiving annual leave travel concessions as a lump sum, obtaining an inconvenience allowance for overnight stays away from home, and having the flexibility to use travelling allowances for purchasing groceries and pre-prepared meals. CPSU/CSA branch secretary Rikki Hendon said the change would help address the urgent regional attraction and retention crisis. “The Government needs to offer pay and conditions that inspire people to live and work delivering public services in regional WA, and keep them there for the long term,” she said. “Accessible, reliable, locally-delivered public services underpin the capacity to live a better life in regional WA but this is being undermined by persistent difficulties attracting and retaining skilled staff to do the work.” CPSU national secretary Melissa Donnelly said the CPSU’s proposed package was strongly supported by Services Australia, the ATO and Home Affairs workers. “We have been pleased to see high turnout and strong positive responses, with ballot results reflecting the wider sentiment that exists among employees,” she said. “This is a good package that is already delivering (Australian Public Service) employees strong, industry-leading conditions, improved pay, and a financial boost.” The union will also aim to address issues concerning district allowance and the regional officers housing scheme following extensive consultations with over 1000 regional public sector workers across regional WA including Kununurra, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Albany. It comes after Australian Nursing Federation secretary Janet Reah slammed Health Minister Amber Jane Sanderson’s recent 10-day trip to India to recruitment health workers, urging the Government to focus on local retention rather than international recruitment. “We have massive issues around salaries, lack of staff, working conditions and housing that need to be tackled,” she said at the time. In late January the West Australian reported that WA’s nursing and midwifery workforce was continuing to cope with record low numbers as new data reveals the State has the lowest number of nurses and midwives per capita across the country — for the seventh consecutive year.