Aside from the differences in other policy areas like with Gonski School funding, TAFE and the School Kids Bonus, Hospitals, Health and Dental funding, Disability Care, the NBN, After School Hours Care, Marine Parks, Climate Change, and Marriage Equality, the future Industrial Relations approach of the Party that forms government after Saturday will impact in different ways on our rights@work.  CPSU has tried to analyse the approach of the majors to provide a guide for members in what to expect.   word version with links.

CPSU is concerned that individual contracts of employment may again jeopardise our collective bargaining if the Coalition win and remove the restrictions in the current Fair Work Act on the use of the Individual Flexibility arrangements.  Labor has committed itself to deal with our public sector bargaining limitations through the extension of rights to state employees that private sector employees already have by fast tracking the ratification of specific ILO conventions following a successful vote (Labor & Greens) in the Senate.

State public sector employees also remain concerned about our existing agreement entitlements to paid parental leave and our questions to the Coalition about their proposed scheme remain unanswered.   Our concern, apart from the schemes large price tag, is the intention to “top up” existing State Government schemes and the term “replacement wage” being used along with "double dipping" leaving us uncertain whether the payments will become more welfare based under the Coalitions proposed scheme if PPL is removed from an industrial based arrangement and therefore jeopardise the accrual of other leave and the service recognition entitlement that occurs now.  Currently our members have 14 weeks paid leave and in addition, the 18 weeks federal scheme paid at the minimum wage. 

The Coalition delay by two years of legislated increases in compulsory employer superannuation contributions is also a concern as these social wage improvements have been negotiated as workers moderate wage expectations to protect jobs and support growth.