Last week, Serco put out what can only be described as a pitiful offer to employees. The CPSU NSW, after speaking with members, took the position that Serco employees should reject the offer by Serco so that we could continue to bargain for a better wage offer and improved conditions.
Yesterday, we were advised that a very large majority of employees rejected this latest offer.
Serco is yet to formally advise the union of this development, but it is safe to assume that we are now in a position to move forward and take whatever action is necessary in order to secure a better deal for employees at Clarence.
As discussed with members over the last few weeks, the CPSU NSW will now file an application in the Fair Work Commission for a protected action ballot. We will lodge this by no later than COB Monday 15 August 2022, and any such ballot will be conducted electronically. On this note, there are two important points that are worth raising. Firstly, only union members can partake in protected industrial action. If you are not a member then you will be unable to take protected industrial action. This means you must be a financial member of the union, so if your payment details have expired then you must update these with the union as a matter of urgency. Secondly, it is critical that your contact details are up to date with the CPSU NSW, including your email address. To this end, please contact the union and double-check that your details are correct if you are unsure.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the union is not interested in bargaining in good faith with Serco, should the company wish to continue to negotiate. The CPSU NSW will contact Serco and suggest that bargaining meetings continue in order to advance negotiations. However, we will be proceedings with our application in the Fair Work Commission, and will seek to take industrial action if approved until such a time that Serco tables a wage increase worth considering.
If you have any questions regarding the above, please reach out to the union by sending an email to , , or . Alternatively, you can call the CPSU NSW on 1300 772 679.
