Updated 27/03/2024
PowerPoint slides from our member info sessions this week are available along with a recording of Briefing #2 (jump to 3.45 for session start)We should have more progress to report to members early to mid next week.  PowerPoint summary;Money - On the table now is 3% p.a., with effective dates to be finalised if there’s an in–principle agreement reached, plus from VPS 2020 the 1.25% superable mobility allowance payment continues which is calculated at top of grade from 1st July each year, pl... -->
Updated 06/03/2024
The State Labor Government has ignored the recommendations of a Legislative Council inquiry to re-open consultations and instead has struck a deal with the Liberal and National Party Opposition to pass legislation overnight to scuttle the WorkCover scheme. CPSU said that the Labor Government proceeding to slash access to compensation for workers suffering mental injury and ending support for those workers already with accepted claims after 130 weeks with Liberal support is a "devastating decisio... -->
Updated 05/03/2024
In the Victorian Public Service 59% are women, doing amazing and important work to support Victorians, and that’s something to celebrate. However, despite representing the majority of workers, many women in the public service are still falling behind their male colleagues in terms of pay, progression and promotion. So, while we celebrate VPS women and their achievements on International Women’s Day, it’s also important to remind the State of Victoria it is time to address inherent biases... -->
Updated 05/03/2024
ACTU Executive calls for increased action to ensure an urgent and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.  The ACTU Executive resolution on Gaza was endorsed by our Victorian Branch Council at its last meeting in February.... -->
Updated 29/02/2024
Our negotiating team is working hard to squeeze out the best possible outcome in the context of the government’s pay policy and are continuing negotiations on smaller changes to improve the Agreement.Key issues that the union remains focused on include:•    Salary Increases – Wages policy provides 3% per annum pay increases, plus CPSU has confirmed the mobility allowance payment from VPS Agreement 2020 of 1.25% every year remains from 1st July 2024 and would apply also in the 2025, 2026... -->
Updated 11/02/2024
The union movement has achieved some of the very big reforms that we set our sights on eight years ago that will fundamentally change workers’ rights for the better as well as fixing some of the issues that were outstanding with the Closing Loopholes Bill Mark 2 passing the Senate. The big ticket items are:1.    A definition of “employee” that overturns regressive High Court decisions which opened a path out of employment rights for all workers2.    A stronger definition of casual wo... -->
Updated 05/02/2024
Why are we bargaining?Improving the resources available to build better public services like pay, access to leave, career opportunities and allowances are all spelled out in our Victorian Public Service Agreement negotiated between CPSU and the Vic Government.Negotiations for our next agreement are underway now and former Fair Work Commissioner Julius Roe has been brought in as an independent facilitator to assist the parties.Get on board with CPSU to have your voice heard an... -->
Updated 29/01/2024
Workers received a major Christmas present with the Albanese Government securing the support of the Greens, Lydia Thorpe, David Pocock, and the Jacqui Lambie Network in the Senate to pass the first Closing Loopholes Bill.  These changes include:New rights for labour hire workers (same job, same pay)Criminalising and increasing fines for wage theft. Strong new rights for workplace delegatesStronger workplace safety laws, including industrial manslaughter and better rights for injured w... -->
Updated 22/01/2024
I was lucky enough to be sponsored on a study tour of the UN in Geneva last October.  This wonderful trip came after my name was drawn as the prize winner from the pool of people who recruited more than five (5) new union members in 2023.  The tour, run by the Victorian branch of the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA), took us to sixteen (16) different UN offices, specialised agencies, and non-government organisations (NGOs) over the five (5) days. We met with UN and other sta... -->
Updated 18/01/2024
Improving the resources available to build better public services like pay, access to leave, career opportunities and allowances are all spelled out in the VPS Agreement negotiated between CPSU and the Vic Government. Negotiations for our next agreement will commence very soon.CPSU has served the union's claims for our new agreement.  It was developed in consultation with your workplace delegates and incorporates input from members.The claim has been served on ov... -->
Updated 13/12/2023
The Bill if passed will preclude most mental injury claims from being accepted and CPSU strongly opposes the changes as it is not a modernisation of the WorkCover Scheme as the title suggests.  It is more of a demolition of the right of workers’ who have sustained an injury, disease, or illness in the course of employment to claim Workers’ compensation. CPSU contends that the changes proposed in the Bill, all affect injured workers whose injury has been caused by work, ... -->
Updated 11/12/2023
More than two-thirds of Victorian voters say they support a push by the state’s public servants for more flexible work arrangements and the right to work from home, as key unions ramp up industrial action in the lead-up to Christmas.The findings are contained in a survey by Resolve Political Monitor, conducted exclusively for The Age, which also found 54 per cent of voters backed a 20 per cent pay increase for the state’s public sector workforce over four years.The poll asked Victo... -->
Updated 27/11/2023
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence has begun. The Walk Against Family Violence took place last Friday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and it marks the start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.This staggering list of women killed at the hands of ex/partners and family members is testament to the need for action on family violence.Family violence is a workplace issue. Gender-based violence is a human rights violation and a... -->
Updated 21/11/2023
The Covid19 pandemic continued to have a significant impact on the union’s operations during 2020-2021 however our financial statements show a strong result was achieved. Since March 2021 the union has been required to operate remotely due to public health restrictions. Union employees and officials have been required to work from home. Workplace visits, meetings, negotiations, training, and dispute resolution processes have needed to be conducted remotely via various ... -->
Updated 21/11/2023
Our financial statements for 2021/22 including the independent audited accounts have been released.  The Covid-19 pandemic continued to have a significant impact on the unions operations as we continued to operate remotely due to public health restrictions.  The union continued to operate remotely due to public health restrictions however hybrid working arrangements with union staff working partly from home and from our office commenced early in 2022 in line with easin... -->
Updated 21/11/2023
The audited financial statements and report on 2019/20 operations is available with Victorian Public Service (VPS) bargaining negotiations for a new whole of VPS enterprise agreement commencing in July 2019 with bargaining concluding during the reporting period. The agreement covers the VPS comprising 52 departments and agencies and over 50,000 employees. New agreements were approved by FWC for Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, Australian Council for E... -->
Updated 14/11/2023
Pre-existing Issues - CPSU is a membership based organisationWe provide assistance to financial members in relation to individual issues in relation to their employment that arise during the time that they are members.If an issue has arisen prior to joining, or during a time that a person was not a financial member of the union, assistance is limited to general advice about the best way to handle or manage the matter. Full support and representation is not provided.A full cop... -->
Updated 25/10/2023
The Government’s proposed changes to the WorkCover system in Victoria has a potential costly legal sting for employers already facing increasing premiums.The changes proposed by Labor could jeopardise the integrity of a no-fault system that has been in place for over a century. This system, initially designed to provide efficient support to injured workers without the need to prove employer negligence or breach of statutory duty, dates back to the introduction of Victoria’s first Workers' Co... -->
Updated 25/09/2023
Improving the resources available to build better public services like pay, access to leave, career opportunities and allowances are all spelled out in the VPS Agreement negotiated between CPSU and the Vic Government. Negotiations for our next agreement will commence very soon.CPSU has served the union's claims for our new agreement.  It was developed in consultation with your workplace delegates and incorporates input from members.The claim has been served on over ... -->
Updated 10/08/2023
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation to the Australian people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians for constitutional recognition of their continuous connection to this land in the form of a Voice to Parliament. CPSU has for many years been a member of the ACTU’s First Nations Workers Alliance (FNWA). The FNWA has continually worked on matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and have sought the support of the Union Movement to ass... -->
Updated 03/08/2023
The scandal should be a wake-up call to all Governments across Australia.  The use of consultants, such as PwC, is a legacy of the neoliberal push to cut public service numbers and replace with external for-profit consultants.  The result is a complex web of competing obligations.  Fulfilling obligations when competing to make a profit for the company and its shareholders and providing Governments with professional frank and fearless advice. The two cannot co-exist.The scandal invol... -->
Updated 21/07/2023
Public service employees do not have the same access to bullying and sexual harassment protections as private industry workers do.CPSU has been pushing the Andrews Government to make a further referral of IR powers to Canberra to give core State public sector employees the right to seek orders from the Fair Work Commission to stop bullying and sexual harassment.The union has long advocated another referral is warranted to provide access to the anti-bullying jurisdiction but have now renewed our ... -->
Updated 19/07/2023
The Government approved version of the Budget reprioritisation guide to VPS Employers following consultation with CPSU has been released.Please note the following in relation to our position on this document.Our input has had a significant influence in changing the original narrative from compulsory redundancies set out in the first draft which are now off the table, to attempting to use all available options, including a primary focus on internal advertisement and JSE involvement, mobility... -->
Updated 10/07/2023
The Government decision in their budget to impose up to a 10% cut across the VPS would mean about 4,000 jobs were at risk with employees to be made redundant.  CPSU has campaigned relentlessly to protect services and jobs and was concerned about the approach being proposed to deliver these cuts.  The rhetoric this time did not reflect the consultation requirements in our EBA's, nor the BPEC (Best Practice Employment Commitment) principles, nor the focus of the agreed workforce transition ... -->
Updated 07/07/2023
Thank you for all the well wishes Karen has received over the last few days in acknowledgement of her 30 Years as Secretary. The celebration was just awesome as are our members across the country who work so hard to deliver public services. As is often reflected upon, we are  costed but not always valued but I feel very valued and honored to have been here to advocate for better services on your behalf and Karen will keep speaking out to protect jobs a... -->