Andrews Government staffers set to quit CPSU over pay deal stoush
A large number of Andrews Government ministerial advisers are believed to be planning to quit the public sector union in protest over the way a new pay agreement has been handled.
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Ministerial staffers for the Andrews Government have vowed to quit the public sector union over an ongoing pay dispute.
The stoush stems over a new pay agreement sent to employees on Tuesday.
Staffers’ pay would rise in line with the government’s cap of 2 per cent in 2020 and 2021 and by 0.9 per cent in 2022.
But the Herald Sun understands the Community and Public Sector Union has refused to sign off on the agreement, despite it having the support of ministerial advisers who are also union members.
A large number of ministerial advisers are now believed to be planning to quit the CPSU to protest the way the agreement has been handled.
The advisers still plan to sign the deal without the union’s backing.
It comes after more than 150 staff involved in the dispute launched industrial action which included refusing to work after 5pm.
In a letter to members, CPSU state secretary Karen Batt wrote that the government’s bargaining position was unfair and “a dreadful double standard”.
”This is not a criticism of the bargaining committee who tried to reach an acceptable agreement,” she said.
“This is a criticism of the ridiculous pay policy adopted by the Government and MAs (ministerial advisers) being the first cab off the rank in bargaining.
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“Previous agreements have been signed by CPSU to indicate good will around the outcomes … I am not able to do this with the current agreement.”
One staffer said they did not want to be used as a “stalking horse” by the CPSU in its negotiations for broader public sector pay agreements.
“This flies in the face of unionism and collective bargaining — we were unhappy with their lack of support but this deliberate back-turn on members is a shock,” they said.