CPSU’s Easter strikes a ‘cynical move’ says John Lloyd

Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd has slammed strikes by the union ahead of the Easter long weekend.

John Lloyd moved to “condemn” the industrial action in a strong statement this afternoon.

Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd has slammed strikes launched by Commonwealth bureaucrats ahead of the Easter long weekend as “cynical” and “designed to cause maximum disruption”, warning the action won’t break the stand-off over civil servants’ pay.

The Commonwealth Public Sector Union began a week of stop-work action today which will culminate in a 24-hour strike at airports on the Thursday before Easter.

Medicare, Centrelink, the Australian Taxation Office, Defence and the Bureau of Meteorology workers began 24-hour strikes today, in the lead up to the stop work action at airports involving immigration and border protection officers and department of Agriculture workers.

Mr Lloyd moved to “condemn” the industrial action in a strong statement this afternoon, saying the airports strike “will disrupt the Easter travel plans for thousands”.

“To strike on the day before a long weekend is a cynical move by the CPSU,” Mr Lloyd said.

“The timing of the action appears to be designed to cause maximum disruption to the public at Easter ... (and) will cause delays and inconvenience on one of the busiest travel days of the year.”

The CPSU has also warned that immigration and border protection offers including Border Force staff will undertake “several weeks of extended rolling stoppages” at international airports after this week’s action.

“This is a significant decision and it is ordinary Australians who will be affected,” Mr Llloyd said, adding that “it will simply cause difficulty and stress for the public.”

However the CPSU said the strikes demonstrated “growing frustration with the Federal Government’s attack on existing rights in bargaining”.

An impasse in bargaining over workplace agreements has left staff in dozens of departments and agencies in limbo over their employment contracts.

The union is demanding annual wage rises of 3-4 per cent while the government has offered 2 per cent a year for three years.

The CPSU has also led a relentless campaign against the workplace agreements on the grounds they will cut “essential rights and conditions” or render unenforceable conditions that grant flexibility for working parents.

The union this week blamed Malcolm Turnbull for “ignoring” its requests for “urgent talks” to fix the “bargaining mess leaving the union with no choice but to proceed with the strikes”.

But Mr Lloyd, who branded the CPSU campaign against the agreements “scaremongering” and claimed the union sought to protect industrial “privileges” yesterday warned the industrial action “does nothing to advance (the union’s) claims”.

“I call on the CPSU to return to the bargaining table and to cease industrial action which does nothing to facilitate the attainment of an agreement,” he said.

CPSU secretary Nadine Flood said “the most disturbing cuts that the Government refuses to take off the table are the removal of essential family-friendly conditions in many agencies that allow people to juggle their work with their parenting and other responsibilities.”

“Our message to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister Michaelia Cash is simple: you are out of step and it’s time to fix this mess of your own making, by sitting down to discuss a more sensible bargaining policy that treats public sector workers with respect.”

The CPSU advised passengers to contact their airline for information on whether they will be affected, and to allow extra time when departing and arriving on international flights.