Proposed annual leave reductions spark anger as inflation and interest rates bite; bargaining talks are compared to negotiating with Donald Trump.
The revelation of the Commonwealth’s pay offer to Australian Public Service employees slated to land on Tuesday is already set to be mired in a growing backlash against attempts by the Australian Public Service Commission to cut once-sacred key conditions, including leave, with one major union comparing negotiations to the art of dealing with US President Donald Trump.
With most public servants bracing for a below-inflation offer after Australia’s annual inflation rate climbed to 4%, a new battlefront has emerged around a bid by the APSC to standardise annual leave at just 20 days across the APS.