The union representing the public sector including Centrelink and Services Australia workers, the CPSU, welcomes today’s announcement that the government has settled the Robodebt class action, forcing it to repay illegal debts to Australians.
Even before the scheme was rolled out, our members working in Centrelink were telling the department that the scheme was flawed and would cause serious problems.
This is yet another government social security fumble that would not have occurred had it valued staff experience and listened to front line workers.
Melissa Donnelly, CPSU National Secretary today said, “The government should be embarrassed by the entire Robodebt fiasco. More than that, it owes all these Australians, and its workforce an apology.”
“This program never should have got the go-ahead and had the Morrison Government listened to our members it would not have.”
“Our members are experts, they are on the frontline of this work every day, and had they been listened to in the first place they could have saved Stuart Robert an eye-watering amount of money.”
“With the government recommencing debt recovery actions, it is important that it learns lessons from Robodebt.”
