Public service tradies working in the guts of Parliament House in Canberra will down tools on Thursday amid an escalating pay and classification dispute that unions say has some skilled technicians like plant and machinery mechanics languishing on wages as low as an APS 3.
In what resembles a blue-collar repeat of the widespread leaching of internal public sector IT skills to higher-paying outsourcers and consulting firms, unions representing government trades staff say low wages and classifications for their work are pricing the Department of Parliamentary Services out of the permanent employee market and forcing it to rely on contractors at steep market rates.
Parliament House’s trades staff working for the Department of Parliamentary Services are represented by the Australian Manufacturers Workers’ Union (AMWU), the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Union (CFMEU) and the Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU).
While the number of workers in dispute is not large, the fact that they keep Parliament House running puts them right under the noses of politicians and staffers every time a thermostat breaks, a door won’t close or a tap or toilet needs fixing.
Under the whole APS bargaining policy run out of the Australian Public Service Commission, unions whose members perform non-clerical or administrative roles also get roped into the broader one-size-fits-all offer intended to lift all boats with the tide. Utes — not so much.
Now, a range of unions are kicking back against the offer of a blanket 11.2% pay rise over three years because it either doesn’t lift wages sufficiently or doesn’t address classification issues that can heavily discount the seniority or responsibility of a trade of technical role.
“This action comes in response to senior management’s refusal to explore alternative options during the bargaining process to rebuild the core capability of trade staff within the Australian Parliament,” the AMWU said in a statement.
“The [DPS] senior executive’s persistent reluctance to explore alternative avenues during successive bargaining rounds has eroded employment conditions for trade staff. This erosion is exemplified by the department’s reliance on expensive contracts, which engages labour-hire workers to backfill positions due to consecutive failed rounds of recruitment.”
Part of the recruitment challenge the government faces is cyclical and dates back to when departments and agencies were actively encouraged to bring in outsourcers or contractors to reduce costs and headcount when there was a lot more competition for jobs.
Now, a general shortfall of tradies created by school leavers moving into knowledge economy jobs, coupled with a building and infrastructure boom, means that many skilled tradespeople and technicians are moving with the market where many private employers offer a better package.
“The DPS’ poor judgment and disregard to make any attempt to be competitive in the labour market is at the expense of our members’ professional dignity,” the AMWU said.
“Management’s acknowledgment of their remuneration problem during the bargaining process remains unaddressed, further contributing to our members’ dissatisfaction.”
What really irks unions like the AMWU and CFMEU is when public service wages are too low to attract job applicants, and then, employers hire contractors at much higher rates, with some of those staff potentially earning more than who they report to.
Unions are also taking their message directly to policymakers and elected representatives, writing to members of parliament about the pay imbalance.
“Every day these members are working to ensure the efficient functioning of the parliamentary precinct while working alongside contractors and other trades business units in APH who are consistently paid more than them,” a letter from AMWU national secretary Steve Murphy to parliamentarians obtained by The Mandarin says.
“This illustrates a systemic remuneration problem within DPS which must be addressed. AMWU members have sought to do exactly this through exhaustive negotiations with DPS senior management, without success. While senior managers within DPS have acknowledged the problem, they have not yet taken meaningful steps to address the inherent unfairness of the situation.”
Earlier this month, the Department of Parliamentary Services sought to have the notice period of three days for industrial action extended at the Fair Work Commission on the basis it threatened Australian democracy, but was unsuccessful.
“DPS submitted that a failure to extend the written notice period may “impact on Australian society’s access to democracy”,” commissioner Stephen Crawford said in his reasons for knocking DPS back.
“While I completely accept the work performed at Parliament House is critically important for Australian society, I consider a much more likely consequence of the written notice period being three working days is that DPS will arrange external contractors to be available to perform the relevant work and the citizens of Australia will not be deprived of their access to democracy.”
A DPS spokesperson said the agency had negotiated in good faith on the proposed enterprise agreement with staff representatives and all relevant unions, including the CFMEU, CEPU, AMWU and CPSU.
“All claims and proposals were genuinely considered within the Australian Government Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy 2023 and advice sought from the Australian Public Service Commission throughout the bargaining process,” the spokesperson said.
“DPS respects the right of staff to take protected industrial action where it does not risk the safety and security of building occupants and visitors to Parliament House.
“Measures will be put in place to minimise disruption to the operation of Australian Parliament House during this time.”
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