Thousands of employees of the Australian Tax Office went on strike today, after yet another round of job cuts and a ‘pay deal’ that appears to remove a bunch of critical benefits, as well as adding in longer working hours.
This morning, a rally was held by the workers in Canberra to oppose these developments. National Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union Natalie Flood, said that the Federal Government were responsible for “gutting the ATO”, and called their new pay proposal ‘draconian’.
“The Government has already cut 11,000 public sector jobs in the past year, a massive hit and the third straight year of cuts… Tax workers have seen 4400 of their colleagues lose their jobs in the 18 months because of this government’s cuts,” Ms Flood said.
“Now they are being asked to cop a new agreement that demands they work an extra five days a year, remove critical workplace rights and conditions in return for a 0.8 per cent pay deal that would see their real wages go backwards.”
An ATO spokesperson has said that there are contingency plans in place for industrial action, and there will be “minimal impact” to the community, while the CPSU have said public servants in the Departments of Human Services, Defence, Immigration and Agriculture, Customs and the Bureau of Meteorology, were preparing to, or are already taking industrial action.
In related news, this will be you soon:
via ABC
