Centrelink staff strike for jobs and service

Centrelink staff have embarked on a campaign of rolling industrial 
action in response to the Federal Government's announcement that it would 
cut 5,000 jobs from Centrelink (formerly the Department of Social 
Security).

A campaign of half-day stoppages began last week. Staff will walk off the 
job on Wednesday, December 16 in Western Australia and the Northern 
Territory. Staff in Victoria go on strike the next day.

Last week Queensland staff walked out on Tuesday, the ACT on Wednesday, NSW 
on Thursday, Tasmania on Friday and this week SA walked off on Tuesday.

Staff are actively involved in bringing the issues to the notice of the 
public. In NSW when staff walked off they collected signatures to petitions 
at Penrith and held a rally in Wollongong. Others donated their services to 
the Salvation Army for the rest of the day.

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) Social Security Section 
Secretary, Mark Gepp said, "Our members are conscious of the fact that this 
half day strike may inconvenience some Centrelink clients in the short 
term, however we believe we are struggling for the long-term survival of 
Centrelink".

The shedding of 5,000 jobs in the next three years is part of the ongoing 
privatisation of the welfare system that has already seen the CES replaced 
with private job-placement companies that operate for profit.

The CPSU said, "These cuts will drastically reduce Centrelink's ability to 
meet the growing needs of the 6.2 million families, pensioners, students 
and unemployed people it helps each year."

Under the Special Efficiency Dividend, Centrelink must make "efficiency 
gains" that will lead to a 10 per cent reduction in spending in the first 
three years and then for each year after that.

In the two-year period from July '98 to June 2000 a total of 4,800 jobs 
will be abolished. The Federal Government Minister responsible, Warren 
Truss, has virtually washed the Government's hands of the union demands 
saying that they should take them up with Centrelink management.

The CPSU will continue to seek to meet with Mr Truss during the present 
period of industrial action, which will continue until the issue of 
reducing Centrelink's staff is properly addressed by the Government.