If you’re having trouble getting hold of Centrelink or Medicare services today, you’re not alone.
Department of Human Services staff have chosen to take strike action as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions.
The Community and Public Sector Union, who have warned there would be no end date for the strikes, which began at 1.30pm (AEDT) and will continue until at least 8.30pm (AEDT) this afternoon.
“All they want to do is hold on to rights and conditions that have been in place for many years and allow them to balance their working and family lives,” CPSU National Secretary Nadine Flood told Channel 7 earlier today.
The CPSU also posted a statement on their website, claiming the government had “ignored the unacceptable disadvantage to working parents that this dispute is really about”.
“Australians rely on this department to provide essential services, so the Government should start treating DHS and the people who work there with respect,” the statement read.
And you can expect more strikes to, with the Department of Human Services responding by stating its disappointment at the striking workers.
The Department claimed it had committed to “virtually all existing staff entitlements” including “offering staff a pay rise that is line with community standards”.
The head of the Department of Human Services Hank Jongen told Channel 7 the Department wouldn’t be swayed by the strike action.
So, what services have been affected?
Well, for starters there will be even fewer staff manning the phones and Centrelink offices.
“I recommend people access self-service options available through myGov and the Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support mobile apps,” Mr Jongen told Channel 7.
“We will also have arrangements in place to make sure that staff will still be available to help those in financial hardship and who need immediate assistance.”
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