DSS dispute escalates
By Ray Fulcher
MELBOURNE — Community and Public Sector Union members in the Department of Social Security voted on October 19 to escalate industrial action in a dispute over staffing and resources.
Workplace meetings voted overwhelmingly to increase the range of bans, which have already been in place for two weeks. The action in place now includes: no public contact before 9am every day; bans on revenue recoupment; no ministerial or MP contact; and a half day closure from 1pm on October 24.
The campaign is designed to force the department to negotiate seriously on the critical staffing problems in most DSS offices.
For almost 18 months workers in DSS have been demanding that their union take action on the crisis of under-staffing. Wildcat actions by individual offices in Queensland, NSW and Victoria, and a strong backlash against officials at agency bargaining meetings finally forced the union leadership to act.
Of a range of demands placed on the department, the fundamental issue, which the union views as non-negotiable, is funding for salary allocation.
Currently, the Department of Finance allocates salary dollars to DSS based on a formula which does not provide a full wage for every employee. Consequently, DSS does not fill all jobs, and staff are expected to take up the slack. The result is increased sick leave, stress, long queues and poorer service.
The union is demanding that funding reflect "actual incremental labour costs" — that is, what it costs to actually employ someone.
So far DSS has refused even to acknowledge that there is a problem. CPSU members resolved to meet again after October 24 to decide on further action.
Workplace delegates have indicated an increasing willingness of members to take action which will impact on client service. If this occurs, there is no doubt that the department will seek stand-down provisions from the Industrial Relations Commission, placing the dispute on a much higher level and testing the union and its leadership.