CIVIL SERVICE – AUSTRALIA

Leak came from union watchdog

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Original article by Patrick Durkin, Andrew Tillett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 15-Feb-19

Senator Michaelia Cash is due to give evidence in the Federal Court on 15 February in a case brought by the Australian Workers’ Union. She is expected to be asked to respond to allegations by her former chief-of-staff Ben Davies that he was tipped off about an Australian Federal Police raid on AWU offices by former Registered Organisations Commission media adviser Mark Lee. The AWU contends that a ROC investigation into donations made by it to GetUp and Labor leader Bill Shorten is "politically motivated" and legally invalid.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS, AUSTRALIA. REGISTERED ORGANISATIONS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Private firms too tough on sickies

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 22-Jan-18

Federal public servants each took an average of 11.4 days of sick leave in the year to June 2017, compared with 11.5 in the previous year. In contrast, employees in the private sector take an average of 9.5 days of unscheduled leave each year. Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd says some private sector companies foster a culture in which employees are reluctant to take sick leave even if they are genuinely ill, adding that he does not want to see this in the public service. Business leader Tony Shepherd rejects Lloyd’s claims, and attributes the higher levels of unscheduled leave in the public service to poor culture and management.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, DIRECT HEALTH SOLUTIONS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL COMMISSION OF AUDIT, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, COUNCIL OF SMALL BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF AUSTRALIA, ABORIGINAL HOSTELS LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN PESTICIDES AND VETERINARY MEDICINES AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE

ABS to slash 150 staff by middle of next year

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Original article by Doug Dingwall
The Canberra Times – Page: 9 : 19-Jan-18

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will respond to budget cuts by further reducing its workforce over the next several years. The ABS employs about 2,800 people in total, and it intends to shed 150 jobs by mid-2019. The ABS previously cut 100 jobs in 2017 and 120 in 2016. However, the ABS has advised a Senate committee that the latest job cuts will be focused on office-based employees, and its 400-strong team of field workers who undertake interviews with householders will not be affected.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Strikes to smash families’ holidays

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 3 : 15-Sep-16

The Community & Public Sector Union has flagged industrial action by Department of Immigration & Border Force employees between 26 September and 2 October 2016. The escalating dispute over a new enterprise agreement is expected to result in strike action at Australia’s international airports and cruise ship terminals, as well as cargo ports. The industrial action will coincide with school holidays in some states, which has attracted criticism from Employment Minister Michaelia Cash.

CORPORATES
COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION

Tax Office forced to build Gosford offices

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Original article by Noel Towell
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 4 : 27-Oct-14

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann stresses that the Australian Government is honouring an election pledge by opening a new office building in the regional New South Wales town of Gosford for the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The move has been criticised by the Opposition as it comes at a time of major job cuts at the ATO and as it has a surplus of 6,200 seats across its premises nationwide. There has also been neither a business case nor cost-benefit analysis, in breach of the Finance Department’s requirements for new property leases by civil service agencies

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY