Kevin Andrew’s staff to strike

Date: 15 June 2005

Staff from Kevin Andrew's Workplace Relations Department (DEWR) in Sydney will take strike action at lunchtime tomorrow (16 June) to protest stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations

According to the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), DEWR management have used every trick in the book to avoid making a fair agreement, including:

- delaying direct negotiations with the CPSU

- pursuing knowingly unacceptable positions

- putting all new DEWR employees on individual contracts (AWAs). DEWR staff used to have a choice - the vast majority of other public servants still do.

CPSU Division Secretary, Lisa Newman says staff are strongly opposed to management's agenda and are prepared to make a stand in support of fairer deal.

"DEWR is supposed to be a 'model' employer. It should be setting a positive example for the rest of the community. The Minister, Kevin Andrews, is the architect of the Government's new workplace relations laws. If this is how he treats his own staff, heaven help the rest of us.

"DEWR are threatening to take away employees' access to the Industrial Relations Commission. They are reducing redundancy entitlements. They are cutting back the current broad-based performance pay system to replace it with mega-bonuses for the 'favoured ones'. They are removing people's right to choose a collective agreement rather than accept a 'take it or leave it' AWA," she said.

"There is deep concern that what the Minister is letting happen in DEWR will be rolled out across the rest of the public service. Against their will, DEWR staff have become the canaries in the coalmine of Kevin Andrews' radical workplace experiment. Mr Andrews and DEWR management talk a lot about 'choice' and 'flexibility'. It's about time they practised what they preach," Ms Newman added.

Rally details: media welcome

Location: Belmore Park, outside Central Railway (corner Pitt & Hay St)

Date: Thursday June 16

Time: 12.30 to 1.30 pm

For comment: Lisa Newman    0438 255 006

For further information

Union:	Lisa Newman
Phone:	0438 255 006
Email:	dermot.browne@cpsu.org.au
WWW:	www.cpsu.org.au

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