Customs and Border Protection industrial action

[cbp]

The CPSU has given Customs and Border Protection notice of industrial action from Tuesday 27 September including:

• Airport Operations Brisbane - A stoppage of work for 1 hour starting at 7:00am on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Brisbane - A stoppage of work for 1 hour starting at 7:30pm on Tuesday 27th September
• Gold Coast Airport - A four hour ban on x-ray screening and a four hour ban on duty collections starting from 7:00am on Tuesday 27th September
• Adelaide Airport – A stoppage of work for 2 hours starting at 6:30am on Tuesday 27th of September
• Airport Operations Perth - A stoppage of work for 2 hours starting at 1:30pm on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Perth - A stoppage of work for 2 hours starting at 11:00pm on Tuesday 27th September
• Cairns Airport – A 24 hour ban on overtime – commencing 12:01am on 27th September and ceasing 24 hours later
• Cairns Airport - A ban on overtime starting from 5:00pm Saturday 1st of October to 2:00am Sunday 2nd of October
• Airport Operations Melbourne - 1 hour stoppage of work starting at 7:00am on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Melbourne - 1 hour stoppage of work starting at 3:00pm on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Melbourne - 1 hour stoppage of work starting at 9:00pm on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Sydney - 1 hour stoppage of work from 6:00am and a further 1 hour stoppage of work from 8:00am on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Sydney - 1 hour stoppage of work from 6:00am and a further 1 hour stoppage of work from 8:00am on Thursday 29th September
• Airport Operations Sydney - 1 hour stoppage of work from 6:00am and a further 1 hour stoppage of work from 8:00am on Saturday 1st October
• Airport Operations Sydney - 1 hour stoppage of work from 7:00pm on Tuesday 27th September
• Airport Operations Sydney - 1 hour stoppage of work from 7:00pm on Thursday 29th September
• Airport Operations Sydney - 1 hour stoppage of work from 7:00pm on Saturday 1st October

The CPSU letter is attached.

Whether or not the industrial action goes ahead depends on the outcome of the second round of votes by Customs and Border Protection
employees on the CA which closes on Thursday 22 September. The outcome should be known on Friday 23 September.

This is not an official post by Customs and Border Protection or the CPSU

 

[simongr]

This would only impact international flights wouldn't it?

 

[tuppaware]

Welcome to the AFF cbp!

As this is your first post , I assume you work in this area ?

 

[simongr]

Welcome to the AFF cbp!

As this is your first post , I assume you work in this area ?

I am guessing the user name Customs Border Protection is a give away...

 

[tuppaware]

I am guessing the user name Customs Border Protection is a give away...

Yes, but its always good to be polite and check.

 

[harvyk]

This would only impact international flights wouldn't it?

Or "D" flights, although I don't think there are any at these times.
Interesting choice of timing, esp SYD considering it's the preferred times of most of the long haul arrivals. I wouldn't want to be one of those lucky cbp staff who gets to reopen immi \ customs \ aqis lines and then having to deal with tired travellers who have just been forced to sit around for an hour for no reason... Esp if the backlog was not cleared between 7 and 8 and they shut the border again at 8 for an hour, meaning that person could have been waiting for 3 hours.

 

[russ]

cbp,

I'm not sure what your dispute is about. I think you need to get the public on-side with billboards and a snappy slogan.

How about "There's no-one I'd rather have wearing a rubber glove than an Australian Customers and Border Protection officer"

Regards,
russ

 

[simongr]

Given that a lot of those inbound aircraft have a few spare hours on the ground before departure (total assumption on my part based on a sample of 1 being BA) wouldnt it be better for the airlines to delay the outbound departure from the POO rather than have people sat on the aircraft on the tarmac in SYD? Not acceptable in every case of course - but just a thought?

 

[russ]

What, you want to send all the aircraft to Brazil?

Pocos De Caldas Airport (POO) Details - Brazil

 

[notzac]

Oh bugger, this would have to be the day I need to depart from SYD on an International flight .. hope it doesn't materialise. Appreciate the heads-up though!

 

[straitman]

We are out of SYD on the 30th so are OK at the moment.

 

[cbp]

Welcome to the AFF cbp!

As this is your first post , I assume you work in this area ?

Thanks for the welcome, but not really my first post - I'm actually an existing AFF member. Customs and Border Protection's social media policy discourages employees from identifying them as Customs and Border Protection officers so AFF Admin suggested that I create a new AFF account to keep this seperate from my exisiting account. I plan to use this profile to provide information and facts only. For everything else, I'll use my other profile.

cbp,

I'm not sure what your dispute is about. I think you need to get the public on-side with billboards and a snappy slogan.

How about "There's no-one I'd rather have wearing a rubber glove than an Australian Customers and Border Protection officer"

Regards,
russ

To give you an idea the thrust of the CPSU claim, below is an email that was sent out today:

As Customs workers vote on a sub-inflation 9% pay offer there are major developments occurring on pay in other agencies.

The DIAC 11% pay precedent is spreading to other agencies:

• CPSU members in DIAC have strongly endorsed their 11% pay offer.
• And now the Australian Public Service Commission has taken the step of informing agencies how to apply the DIAC model
• Right now CPSU is in negotiation with a number of agencies - large and small - about delivering 11% for their workers. Over the next two weeks CPSU expects to see more deals finalised using the DIAC precedent.

Government under more pressure as 40 000 DHS workers reject a 9% offer
See how the Canberra Times reported the 73% NO vote in Human Services and why the government is under pressure to do better on pay. REJECTED: More PS staff join dispute over pay deals

And now the Military get angry about 9% too
ADF staff realise that 9% is an effective pay cut and just like the rest of the APS the military want a better deal.

The tide is turning on pay. Better deals are possible. And so CPSU recommends that Customs workers vote NO

• Previously Customs workers rejected a 9% pay offer. The Customs offer is still 9% over three years. Inflation is predicted to total 10.25% in that period. Customs offer is a real wage cut.
• All Customs have done is increase the pay increase at the start of the agreement - by reducing the pay increases later in the agreement. The Customs offer is trying to bribe people with their own money.
• There is no back pay to cover the delay in getting a pay rise due to delay in bargaining getting started. Given that the pay rise should have been paid from 1 July 2011, the pay offer including the bonus is still 9% over three years.
• Customs' budget is more than a billion dollars a year - Customs can afford to pay you a decent pay increase.

Let’s put the pressure on to win a real pay increase

Winning a second NO vote impacts significantly on your employers room to move - the only way is up! And then we can add to the pressure through using clever industrial action tactics.

27 September - day of action

If a majority of Customs Employees vote to reject the proposed agreement, Protected Action will commence next week on Tuesday 27 September - where members across the country will participate in stop work meetings. The action in your work area has been developed with your local Delegate and Organiser.

Winning a better deal is possible. But first we have to vote NO to Customs below inflation pay offer.

Unfortunately, I don't work at the airports so I have no idea what, if any, impact the industrial action will have on airport operations.
I'll let you know the outcome of the vote Friday night, as soon as I get home from work.

 

[admin]

Thanks for the welcome, but not really my first post - I'm actually an existing AFF member. Customs and Border Protection's social media policy discourages employees from identifying them as Customs and Border Protection officers so AFF Admin suggested that I create a new AFF account to keep this seperate from my exisiting account. I plan to use this profile to provide information and facts only. For everything else, I'll use my other profile.

This is correct - I did suggest that our member should create a 2nd AFF persona for the EXCLUSIVE use of posting Customs and Border Protection matters. This is an exception, due to the specific circumstances. Normally AFF members can only have one AFF account. Additional accounts, without explicit approval, will be deleted.

 

[ethernet]

3% PA is a crook deal, and its less, because most everyone pays extra tax - the QLD flood levy to support those with waterfront property, but more importantly the customs staff that get royally sqrewed by Airport Parking charges, petrol, road tolls, rates and electricity - more than 3%. Minus Medicare levy. Always hard to get reliable and attentive 6am starters, whose public transport options are limited to negligible. Those dealing with new arrival processing - well they are working above and beyond.
By decree Public servants get 3%, their masters more - that's fair right? Small beer compared to QF execs setting an example in restraint - not. PAX numbers are up - what 6+% or more - same pay to cop even more abuse - goes a long way of proving productivity. CF Voting to accept an effective compounding pay cut - you would have to be stupid to buy that one when leadership is leaving their doors open.

The equivalent open minded approach would be to 'outsource' both customs and BP on foreign soil and allow every one in on arrival. That is unlikely given certain airports are deemed untrustworthy (ie liquids).

If Keating was in charge, it would probably go 3% pay rise, and 1% extra to super, but not one 'leader' is putting that chestnut out. HR Nicholls Society and open confrontation is all the rage.

 

[simongr]

3% PA is a crook deal, and its less, because most everyone pays extra tax - the QLD flood levy to support those with waterfront property, but more importantly the customs staff that get royally sqrewed by Airport Parking charges, petrol, road tolls, rates and electricity - more than 3%. Minus Medicare levy. Always hard to get reliable and attentive 6am starters, whose public transport options are limited to negligible. Those dealing with new arrival processing - well they are working above and beyond.

How is this not the same as anyone else - I pay train fares that increase in excess of inflation and road tolls to get to work. I pay the flood levy (probably a darn sight more than a lot of Govt employees in cash terms) - my electricity bill is going up way ahead of inflation - so why are public servants more deserving of a higher than inflation pay increase? I was told to budget a 2.2% pay increase this year - which after discussion is around 3.5% but that was with hard negotiating NOT strike action.

Sorry but I don't agree that one group is more deserving than another group as we all bear the same sorts of charges albeit in different ways.

 

[samiam]

Could be newspapers peddling the usual doom and gloom:

THE International Monetary Fund has slashed its economic forecasts for Australia, warning of a new global recession that would hit commodity prices and drive millions worldwide into unemployment.

Read more: Sharp drop for economy, IMF warns ​

I support bargaining (individually or collectively) - the risk with the collective approach is, particularly when union driven, it can 'sometimes' be so blinkered that it can ignore members' interests, in order to further the union agenda (HSU anyone?) - even if this means restructuring and job losses for such members, having struck an 'excellent pay deal' during the last EBA.

Good luck with it.


​

 

[markis10]

I think they should be given a pay rise, at least they are doing something for the money, and if they get a pay rise the chances of me encountering Mr grumpy pants on a 6AM arrival into SYD are reduced....in theory!

I have done a lot of work with customs on trade and branding enforcement in the past and they are a very good bunch of people who do their work fairly and firmly.

 

[simongr]

I think they should be given a pay rise, at least they are doing something for the money, and if they get a pay rise the chances of me encountering Mr grumpy pants on a 6AM arrival into SYD are reduced....in theory!

I have done a lot of work with customs on trade and branding enforcement in the past and they are a very good bunch of people who do their work fairly and firmly.

I am sure they are and they are being offered a payrise....

 

[ethernet]

A 2.2% or 3% payrise is NOT a payrise given inflation and tax rates and interest remaining about the same. Given Customs are working harder than ever, volume numbers up, low ball bids are plain insulting, and like police or nurses, pressured to negotiate weakly, and work harder. That might have worked once, but people are not feeling charitable given real cost of living non-discretionary essentials (rates, elec, water etc).
Add in (Childcare, Private School fees, rent/housing, petrol, insurance, tradesmen) > 3%!
Passport prices and departure tax increases, Politicians pay - positive leadership examples of restraint are negligible, and negative examples abound. The externalized / privatised money grab is now bearing fruit, while housing inflation costs are still running up.

Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits Amendment (Fair Indexation) Bill 2010 (shot down) is another body harboring discontent. Three industry sectors(Local Automotive, F, Apparel &Textiles) and fruit / Vegi processors are the examples where CPI increases probably will snap the back), while miners and coal sector will get over the odds.

Whatever Customs get, I hope they negotiate an overtime clause, where if net overtime increases, there will be bonuses sharing that productivity increase. (Overtime is a hell of a lot cheaper than hiring new bodies - but does not work too well in the airline industry here due to hard/inflexible hour limit rules).

 

[stryker]

The CPSU has given Customs and Border Protection notice of industrial action from Tuesday 27 September

From my experience with these staff, the Govt should give Customs and Border Protection staff notice of their dismissal.