The Community and Public Sector Union has today filed reply submissions in the Fair Work Commission in a landmark case that highlights the ATO’s failure to meet its responsibilities as a government agency by continuing to spend taxpayers’ money outsourcing public sector work.
This crucial action in the Fair Work Commission will determine whether labour hire companies in white-collar industries will be able to continue to undermine workers’ rights. If successful, the case will lift the pay of labour hire workers to match ATO workers under the ‘same job, same pay’ laws.
In its submission, the CPSU has rejected claims by labour hire companies that they were exempt from the ‘same job, same pay’ laws because they provided a specialised service, and secondly that the enormous contracts they hold provide value for money to the ATO.
The union argues that because outsourced call centre workers answer the same calls as ATO employees, use ATO systems and equipment, and follow the ATO’s workplace policies and procedures, they should be given access to the same pay and employment conditions.
The CPSU has made its submissions in support of a former ATO call centre worker who took his case to the Fair Work Commission, claiming that as a labour hire employee he was forced to work for less pay, and under worse conditions than the ATO’s directly employed staff.
The union says the outsourcing of core ATO work is a blatant rejection of the Albanese Government’s Strategic Commissioning Framework, which is meant to force government agencies and departments to bring outsourced work back within the public service. According to AusTender data, labour hire companies hold contracts worth more than $630 million.
Millions of Australians are filing their tax returns right now blissfully unaware that the call centre workers patiently helping them don’t actually work for the Tax Office and are earning up to 40% less than the ATO workers doing exactly the same job.
The CPSU says the ATO must stop spending taxpayer dollars on labour hire and start investing in public sector jobs, and urges the Government to bring outsourced work back into the public service.
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO MELISSA DONNELLY, CPSU NATIONAL SECRETARY
“Labour hire companies claim they provide a ‘specialised service’, but there’s nothing specialised about answering ATO calls, using ATO systems, following ATO procedures and doing work directed by the ATO.
“These outsourced call centre workers are doing the same job as their ATO counterparts, but with worse pay and conditions. This is ATO work. It should be done by ATO employees.
“Right now, millions of Australians are doing their taxes. They need to know they are talking to fully trained and trusted public sector employees – not outsourced workers being underpaid by profit-driven firms.
“The ATO needs to stop outsourcing this core responsibility, and the government should direct them to do just that.”
