PSA Walk-out for Wages

When members demonstrate collective power, this attracts public attention and ensures government must listen and publicly acknowledge the issues members are raising. In this case, Your Union Agreement claims for pay and conditions that catch up and keep up with the rising cost of living and the Public Sector Alliance's shared calls for the Government to urgently redress years of sector-wide wage suppression and inadequate staffing that impacts your ability to deliver critical services to the people of Western Australia. Together we will fight for a better deal for all public sector workers! 

The rally will take place on Wednesday 21 August 2024 from 12:30pm until 1:30pm at Perth Cultural Centre, Northbridge WA 6003. Members will muster together before the rally so keep an eye out for our colourful CSA union flags when you arrive.

Yes. Arrangements for concurrent actions in regional centres are still being finalised in collaboration with our PSA partners. In the meantime, we encourage regional members to mark your calendars and keep your eyes on your inbox for details of action near you! 

1. Use your lunch break
Refer to clause 22.4 & 22.5 of the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2022.
• You may take a lunch break of no less than 30 minutes.
• Hours are normally worked between 7.00am and 6.00pm, and the lunch interval is generally from 12:00pm to 2:00pm.
• You are allowed to go off site for lunch.
• You are not required to work more than 5 hours continuously to take a break.
• Your employer cannot stop you from taking your lunch break.
• If you have flexible working arrangements in place you may be able to work later that day to make up for taking a longer lunch.
• Depending on critical operational requirements, everyone in your work area may not be able to go to lunch at the same time. Talk to your workmates to ensure there is a skeleton crew on site, if necessary, during the action.

2. Use your flexible working arrangements
Refer to clause 22.6 of the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2022.
• You can use your flexible working arrangements to vary your start/finish time so you can attend the rally.
• Your manager may not unreasonably limit access to flexible working arrangements.
• To minimise objections to using your flexible working arrangements, ensure there is a skeleton crew on-site during the rally, where necessary.

 3. Use your flexi leave
Refer to clause 22.14 of the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2022.
• Flexi leave must be taken in line with the prepared roster where one exists and/or subject to the prior approval of the employer.
• In a settlement period of four weeks, you are allowed to take a maximum of 2 days’ leave from credit hours or three days with a mix of credit hours and banked hours.
• Flexi leave can be taken as half days

4. Use your annual leave, long service leave or time off in lieu (TOIL)
• If you want to take annual leave, long service leave or TOIL on the day of the rally you need the prior approval of your employer

The rally is a form of industrial action to secure Your Union Agreement’s terms of employment.
Unlike the Fair Work Act 2009 there are no elaborate controls under Western Australia’s Industrial Relations Act 1979 (IR Act) with respect to the conduct of industrial action.
The IR Act defines industrial action, and the definition is very broad. It includes:
• Strikes;
• Lockouts;
• Overtime bans;
• Go slows;
• Partial work bans (i.e. Where workers refuse to perform some but not all of their normal duties); and
• Other action if the purpose is to compel an employer or employee or an organisation [union] to accept any terms of employment or to enforce any compliance with any demand relating to employment;
The IR Act would cover action taken over claims for our replacement CSA Agreements.

Stop work meetings are not sanctioned by the Government or Agencies and are considered a form of industrial action. Agencies are required to act when industrial action is threatened or taken by employees. However, if you have made prior arrangements to take a longer lunch break or have approved leave and a skeleton crew will remain on duty, where necessary, your manager should have no concerns.

You can advise your manager that the CPSU/CSA is a responsible and moderate union and members do not take action lightly, but we deserve a pay increase that keeps up with the cost of living as do they. The impact to the public will not be significant because a skeleton crew will
remain at the workplace if it is operationally necessary.

If your manager does attempt to stop you from attending the rally you should contact your local union delegate or UnionLink (9323 3800) for advice or assistance.

If you have made the arrangements set out above and return to work within agreed timeframes your employer should not take any action against you. If you choose to leave the workplace without authorisation or properly utilising your leave provisions, your employer could take action,
but any action would need to be proportional and related to the impact on operational requirements, and not simply because you chose to participate in a union rally.
The way an Agency deals with threatened or actual industrial action can include:

• Stopping your pay - This cannot occur if you are taking a period of approved leave and can only extend for the duration you remain away from the workplace without approved leave.

• Disciplinary action - Any disciplinary investigation into the employee will have to take into account that the conduct was part of recognised industrial action.

As the industrial action is to be conducted reasonably and is approved by the Union, if Government or Agencies do try to interfere, such factors will support us to argue the action can and should go ahead.

The Government or Agencies may seek the assistance of the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC) to resolve the dispute with the Union.
Once industrial action is occurring or likely to occur, the WAIRC can require the union and the employer to attend a conciliation conference. It may order the action to stop or to not go ahead.