A landmark resolution passed by the States’ House yesterday seeks to end decades of difficulties for public sector workers by seeking to invoke our international obligations to address the unique nature of Crown employment. 

CPSU Federal Secretary Karen Batt said, "the resolution, moved by Queensland Senator Claire Moore, acknowledges the disadvantage state employees endure just because their employer, as the Crown, is legislator and policy determiner."

"The extent of the current job cuts and mass redundancies by State Governments are unprecedented in recent history.”

Ms Batt said, “these assaults on public services have been accompanied by the unilateral exclusion, for government workers, of long held rights of access to industrial tribunals, the legislated removal of entitlements, and wage policies which prescribe outcomes that promote surface or non-genuine bargaining.”  “Rights at work enjoyed by all other Australian employees are denied to public sector workers by the unique nature of the Crown as their employer,” she said.

Ms Batt said, “at the same time, State governments are also spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year outsourcing work through the use of labour hire agencies and the Senate resolution recognises the growing problem of these indirect employment relationships.”

“The Community and Public Sector Union along with Queensland’s public sector union, Together welcomes this support from Government and Greens’ Senators for state public sector workers around the country,” she said.

*1306  Senator Moore: To move—That the Senate calls on the Federal Government to:
(a) work cooperatively with the states through the Council of Australian Governments and the Australian Council of Trade Unions, in order to get agreement among all states on a minimum standard of entitlements for all workers in all industrial relations jurisdictions across Australia, particularly around reflecting Australia’s international obligations in respect of consultation, dispute resolution, general protections, major organisational change and entitlements;
(b) commence the process of ratifying the International Labor Organization’s Collective Bargaining Convention 1981 (No. 154) and Collective Bargaining Recommendation 1981 (No.163); and
(c) explore options to:
(i) deal with the growing problem of indirect employment relationships, particularly through labour hire arrangements used by state governments and the Commonwealth, and
(ii) ensure all Australian workers, including those in state public sector employment, have adequate and equal protections of their rights at work.