Union goes ‘too far’ on domestic violence

A political row has broken out over domestic violence leave.

John Lloyd, the Australian Public Service Commissioner.

A political row has broken out over domestic violence leave as Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd backed a decision to keep the clause out of workplace agreements for public servants.

Mr Lloyd said union claims that the government had cancelled domestic violence leave for the 150,000-strong commonwealth bureaucracy went “too far” in the battle over bureaucrats’ enterprise agreements.

The public sector union had launched a ­social media campaign alleging domestic violence leave provisions had been stripped out of agreements.

The Community and Public Sector Union said one commonwealth agency deleted “domestic violence” as a reason for taking personal leave and another said it could not include family violence leave in workplace agreements under the APS bargaining policy.

Mr Lloyd insisted that there was no reduction to the amount of leave public servants could take and Employment Minister Michaelia Cash accused the union of generating “sensationalist headlines” over “an extremely serious issue”.

Mr Lloyd said he believed the category of domestic violence leave created privacy ­issues. “There’s a number of avenues for which a domestic violence person can take leave,’’ he said. “Personal carers leave or miscellaneous leave can be used when people require it in these circumstances.

“The most important thing for the employer is to treat the matter with respect and confidentiality.”

The CPSU argued it was ­essential domestic violence leave be “explicit” so that employees knew it was available.

Labor’s Employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor yesterday said: “Thanks to Malcolm Turnbull’s Australian Public Sector bargaining framework policy, workers are losing domestic violence leave and other family friendly provisions.”

“Malcolm Turnbull’s claim that he cares about women and working families has been exposed for the lie it is by news that domestic violence leave provisions are being stripped away from working parents.”