Everything You Need to Know About the 24-Hour Staff Strike Over Pay Dispute

Key Highlights :

1. Staff are striking for 24 hours on Monday over a pay dispute.

2. The action comes after the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) told Services Australia that members of the agency, which boasts more than 32,000 employees, would take industrial action over the pay dispute.

3. The pay dispute is affecting Centrelink and health insurance services.

4. The pay offer from Services Australia of a 0.7 per cent increase on the proposed pay offer of 10.5 per cent over three years isn’t good enough.

5. The CPSU has rejected this offer because they know that they can and they should be aiming higher than 50 per cent, plus one.

6. Australians on JobSeeker who don’t have any children saw their payments rise to about $749 a fortnight, up from just over $693.

     The staff of Services Australia are striking for 24 hours on Monday over a pay dispute. Workers walked off the job on Monday, potentially impacting Centrelink and health insurance services. Services Australia General Manager Hank Jongen told 7NEWS.com.au last week that they were “making preparations to minimise potential disruption to our customers.”

     The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has notified Services Australia that their members will take industrial action over the pay dispute. According to the CPSU, the latest offer from Services Australia of a 0.7% increase on the proposed pay offer of 10.5% over three years is not good enough. CPSU National Secretary Melissa Donnelly said the government needs to honour its commitment to the public sector.

     Services Australia has reassured customers that payments will not be affected by the strike. The online and self-services, including myGov, Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support online accounts and mobile apps, will not be affected. The agency is currently working to identify the number of participating staff.

     Millions of Australian pensioners received a benefits increase in September, offering some relief amid the mounting cost of living pressures. The Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payments received an increase of $32.70 a fortnight for singles, taking their payments to $1096.70 a fortnight. Couples saw a boost of $49 a fortnight, almost $1300 extra a year.

     The rate for older Australians on JobSeeker increased to $802.50 per fortnight. Australians on JobSeeker who don’t have any children saw their payments rise to about $749 a fortnight, up from just over $693. The top-up is made up of a $40-per-fortnight increase previously revealed in the federal budget, plus an extra $16 increase as part of regular indexation.

     The strike is expected to have a significant impact on Services Australia and its customers. The agency is making preparations to minimise potential disruption to customers, but the strike could still cause delays in services. If you are a customer of Services Australia, it is important to remain informed of the situation and to contact the agency if you have any questions or concerns. Additionally, if you are looking for a new job or job candidate, you can post jobs and search for local talent on job boards.

Continue Reading at Source : 7news