Customs and Border Protection industrial action

[dfcatch]

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).

Sorry - but out in the real world (those of us in the private sector) - we don't get "automatic" inflation-level pay rises and we only get 9% Super. We pay taxes, flood and Medicare levies, tolls, transport, parking (sometimes more expensive than airport staff parking) etc.

If we want pay increases (even just inflation) we have to negotiate for them. Sometimes - you can negotiate extra perks that make up for a lack of extra $$$.

Let's not forget that CBP and other Fed employees already get 15% Super as a standard deal. (Good for them by the way, but this has to be taken into account).

As a taxpayer, I and everyone else pay for these increases and these extra employees. The money doesn't just "come from the government....oh, the government has plenty of money".

I'm covered by an EBA (non-union), where we negotiated in several perks and extras as well as modest pay rises through a process that accepted that the cash component of the offer wasn't going to get better, so we focused our negotiations in more productive ways.

Oh and guess what - I went and asked for a raise over and above the EBA level and got it... Why? Because I was able to prove a good faith improvement in productivity, value and flexibility.

Summary - I support CBP getting a raise, but lose the entitlement attitude from the union, when you already get far more than the average (non public service) worker.

 

[cbp]

Customs and Border Protection management has identified SYD, MEL & PER as 'hot spots' and have asked for volunteers from officed based staff to assist if industrial action goes ahead to minimise the impact on the travelling public.

This staff member may or may not have volunteered so if you're going through the international terminal while the industrial action is occuring, please treat those on duty gently

The result of the vote should be known shortly.

 

[cbp]

By the way, the Customs and Border Protection employees only received a 1.5% pay increase last year.

 

[dfcatch]

By the way, the Customs and Border Protection employees only received a 1.5% pay increase last year.

Fair enough - I got 0%.

And I dare say a lot of others are in that boat too.

Ultimately - if I don't like it - I can leave and find another job. It's not a gravy train - and it shouldn't be treated as such.

Again - for the record - I support a reasonable pay rise, but the minute these unions (CPSU/TWU/ALAEA etc) abuse the process by striking simply as a matter of course, thereby inconveniencing the public - then they lose my support - period.

If CBP one day starts contracting out these jobs - the unions will only have themselves to blame. Same goes for QF vis a vis JQ and Jetconnect - only the unions to blame.

Rant over.

 

[muppet]

Sorry - but out in the real world (those of us in the private sector) - we don't get "automatic" inflation-level pay rises and we only get 9% Super. We pay taxes, flood and Medicare levies, tolls, transport, parking (sometimes more expensive than airport staff parking) etc.

If we want pay increases (even just inflation) we have to negotiate for them. Sometimes - you can negotiate extra perks that make up for a lack of extra $$$.

Let's not forget that CBP and other Fed employees already get 15% Super as a standard deal. (Good for them by the way, but this has to be taken into account).

As a taxpayer, I and everyone else pay for these increases and these extra employees. The money doesn't just "come from the government....oh, the government has plenty of money".

I'm covered by an EBA (non-union), where we negotiated in several perks and extras as well as modest pay rises through a process that accepted that the cash component of the offer wasn't going to get better, so we focused our negotiations in more productive ways.

Oh and guess what - I went and asked for a raise over and above the EBA level and got it... Why? Because I was able to prove a good faith improvement in productivity, value and flexibility.

Summary - I support CBP getting a raise, but lose the entitlement attitude from the union, when you already get far more than the average (non public service) worker.

dfcatch, this is one of the most ignorant posts I've ever seen.

Under the Fair Work Act, strike cannot be a first move. Industrial action is never an alternative to 'neogitiation'. The reason the majority of public servants have voted NO and now some (like Customs) are taking industrial action is because the government refuses to negotiate in good faith.

My colleagues have not yet voted in favour of industrial action, but I understand why Customs staff have. If you knew anything about the situation you would agree the government has not been willing to negotiate many keys terms particularly pay.

The Government issued a decree that no agency shall grant more than 3% per year and reductions in personal (sick leave) among other things. No negotiations have ever happened, so you can hop off your high horse going on about how you were able to negotiate different, public servants have not had that chance. They refuse to accept poductivity offsets for greater pay and have only offered an Real pay cut.

Meanwhile, the senior public service (as reported in today's Fin Review) have increased their own pay by double the rate of non-SES over the last ten years

My rant is over, but I couldn't sit tight, I'm so tired of people saying public servants are lazy/over paid/entitled all while constantly posting on this forum during their WORK hours!

m.

 

[Budley]

I'm so tired of people saying public servants are lazy/over paid/entitled all while constantly posting on this forum during their WORK hours!

m.

Well the vast majority of those I used to supervise were. They knew it was almost impossible to sack them, so they took full advantage of it.

I'm sorry, but your bleatings cut no ice with me. You can always just leave and try and find a better job (!).

 

[dfcatch]

dfcatch, this is one of the most ignorant posts I've ever seen.

Under the Fair Work Act, strike cannot be a first move. Industrial action is never an alternative to 'neogitiation'. The reason the majority of public servants have voted NO and now some (like Customs) are taking industrial action is because the government refuses to negotiate in good faith.

My colleagues have not yet voted in favour of industrial action, but I understand why Customs staff have. If you knew anything about the situation you would agree the government has not been willing to negotiate many keys terms particularly pay.

The Government issued a decree that no agency shall grant more than 3% per year and reductions in personal (sick leave) among other things. No negotiations have ever happened, so you can hop off your high horse going on about how you were able to negotiate different, public servants have not had that chance. They refuse to accept poductivity offsets for greater pay and have only offered an Real pay cut.

Meanwhile, the senior public service (as reported in today's Fin Review) have increased their own pay by double the rate of non-SES over the last ten years

My rant is over, but I couldn't sit tight, I'm so tired of people saying public servants are lazy/over paid/entitled all while constantly posting on this forum during their WORK hours!

m.

Sorry but IMHO you're wrong.

Most people right now in the private sector would be happy with a 9% pay rise.

Yes I know that is below inflation (but you know what, sometimes you win above inflation, sometimes below).
Personally I support the government's position at this time.

The APS already receives many benefits far in excess of equivalent counterparts in the private sector, and 15% super is but one example.

I apologise if you're offended by this comment - but your post represents the exact "sense of entitlement" that I suggest needs to be dropped if you want to win the public's support.

I take your complaint about over-paid superiors, but guess what? You have choices:

1/ Stop bleating. We have the same complaint about our bosses outside the APS.

2/ Get yourself a management promotion.

3/ Quit and go work somewhere else where you won't be unhappy.

There are plenty of unemployed people who would love to take your place on the APS gravy train (hey - maybe even me )

 

[samiam]

Meanwhile, the senior public service (as reported in today's Fin Review) have increased their own pay by double the rate of non-SES over the last ten years

My rant is over, but I couldn't sit tight, I'm so tired of people saying public servants are lazy/over paid/entitled all while constantly posting on this forum during their WORK hours!

Okay, the SES are lazy...

... the rest just follow their lead

 

[dfcatch]

BTW - I'm not trying to be overly controversial.

Just pointing out that if you actually want to win popular support for your claims - then taking action that inconveniences the traveling public is a tactic that probably won't work

 

[cbp]

Staff vote ‘no’ to latest Enterprise Agreement offer

The proposed Agreement has been rejected by a majority of staff who voted.
A total of 4,432 eligible employees (77.63%) voted in the ballot. Of those who voted, 62.7% voted ‘no’ to reject the proposed Agreement.

Sorry for the delay in posting the result. This public servant just got home from work.

 

[anchew]

Interesting article in the Canberra time the other week.
PS worth $24,000 more in private sector - Local News - News - General - The Canberra Times

PS worth $24,000 more in private sector


A typical federal bureaucrat working in Canberra would earn an extra $24,000 a year if they took a similar job in the private sector. The catch? They might have to leave the ACT to find the role. The largest government pay survey to date has also confirmed that the wage gap between the Australian Public Service and business is slowly widening.

 

[dfcatch]

Interesting article in the Canberra time the other week.
PS worth $24,000 more in private sector - Local News - News - General - The Canberra Times

Not surprising.

There is of course a major difference between your typical "federal bureaucrat" and your frontline APS employees such as CBP etc.

The first I have no sympathy for and can feel free to downsize themselves and scoot off to the private sector for their extra $24K.

The second I do have respect for and deserve a reasonable claim.
Please note - "reasonable" means don't inconvenience me in the process.

 

[harvyk]

Interesting article in the Canberra time the other week.
PS worth $24,000 more in private sector - Local News - News - General - The Canberra Times

This doesn't surprise me, I know for a fact that I'd never consider taking an APS job as it would be a very big pay cut... A few years ago I was working for a contractor company (underpaid there as well :evil:, but that's another story) and the major department was looking at moving it's IT inhouse and asked a few of us to submit a resume (which I did). I was thinking it would be cool to go across until I found out that they would be paying well under market rates. Needless to say I never went across (and neither did anyone else).

So everytime I hear the "average aussie" whinge about "public service fat cats on their big pay cheques" I do laugh a little, yes there are quite a few who do nothing knowing they probably won't be fired (I've certainly met the one or two who would fit that description), but the majority are there busting a gut at a rate which I wouldn't consider getting out of bed for.

 

[koonyaflyer]

Staff vote ‘no’ to latest Enterprise Agreement offer

The proposed Agreement has been rejected by a majority of staff who voted.
A total of 4,432 eligible employees (77.63%) voted in the ballot. Of those who voted, 62.7% voted ‘no’ to reject the proposed Agreement.

Sorry for the delay in posting the result. This public servant just got home from work.

Hi CBP ...would really appreciate any further updates you may have on industrial action as it comes to hand. I am due to land in MEL just before the scheduled stop work time on Tuesday. have already changed my connecting Domestic flight just in case, but it is PE so hopefully I can fly ahead if the action does not proceed!

I might be happy spending another night os than stand for hours in arrivals!

 

[cbp]

Hi CBP ...would really appreciate any further updates you may have on industrial action as it comes to hand. I am due to land in MEL just before the scheduled stop work time on Tuesday. have already changed my connecting Domestic flight just in case, but it is PE so hopefully I can fly ahead if the action does not proceed!

I might be happy spending another night os than stand for hours in arrivals!

Certainly. I'll update AFF when I get home from work on Monday if staff get any more information.

Also, Customs and Border Protection Management has recently released a statement on the industrial action on the Customs and Border Protection homepage (customs.gov.au).

Customs and Border Protection has in place contingency arrangements to protect Australia’s borders and minimise impacts on business operations.
Our arrangements will minimise impact on our cargo and mail operations but we anticipate that there will be delays to the processing of international travellers at airports. Customs and Border Protection is working with airport owners and airlines to minimise the impact on the travelling public.

International passengers should allow for extra time for processing from Tuesday 27 September 2011. When further information is available it will be published at customs.gov.au.

 

[MrHyde]

So, if I've got a 7:55 AM flight out of Sydney International, what time do I need to get to the airport - 5:30 AM or earlier??? What time does the business class lounge open in the morning?

 

[markis10]

So, if I've got a 7:55 AM flight out of Sydney International, what time do I need to get to the airport - 5:30 AM or earlier??? What time does the business class lounge open in the morning?

Sydney J opens at 5AM.

 

[MrHyde]

Thanks. Looks like an early breakfast for me tomorrow.

 

[cbp]

Didn't get any new info from Customs and Border Protection management today and it seems there's been some coverage in the media too. They don't know how many are acutally going to walk off the job so not quite sure what the impact will be.

I know that there's quite a few Customs and Border Protection office workers (i.e non-front line staff) that will be filling in during the industrial action. Obviously, it's not their usual job so things might be slower than usual. So be nice - it may be a fellow AFF member

 

[cbp]

theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/customs-set-to-ramp-up-industrial-action-20110926-1ktfg.html

Customs set to ramp up industrial action
CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said if Customs and
Border Protection and the Department of Agriculture Forestry and
Fisheries (DAFF) didn't return to the bargaining table further
industrial action was planned for October 5 to 8.

No official notice provided yet though.