Abstracts
Summary
The Australian Labor government’s recognition of collective bargaining under its Fair Work Act 2009, and its efficiency drive from late 2011 across the Australian Public Service (APS), presented the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) with an opportunity to explore means of union renewal following a decade of conservative governments focused on union exclusion. An expanding budget deficit in 2011 placed considerable financial constraints on Australian government revenue. The Labor government increased the annual “efficiency dividend”, or across the board cuts in funding, from 1.5 per cent in May 2011 to 4 per cent in November 2011 as it attempted to achieve a budget surplus. This placed considerable pressure on agency management to remain within tight constraints on wage increases and to find budget savings, resulting in growing job losses from 2011. There was also considerable central oversight over bargaining outcomes throughout this bargaining round, with the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) involved at all stages of the agreement-making process, to the frustration of many agencies and the CPSU. Nevertheless, throughout the 2011-12 bargaining round, the CPSU worked with its members to develop creative forms of industrial action, such as one minute stoppages in the Defence department. The union also mobilized an overwhelming majority of APS employees to vote “no” in response to initial offers put by agency managements. In addition, the CPSU focused on winning bargaining concessions in politically sensitive government agencies and then flowing these concessions to other agencies. Typical of this approach were the agreements reached in the Immigration department and Customs agency. Union recruitment activities over 2011 resulted in a substantial rise in membership and enhanced communications with members through workplace meetings, telephone and internet communications, and emails. Such union initiatives highlight the potential for enhanced union capacities and mobilization during a time of growing austerity.
Keywords:
- union renewal,
- union capacity,
- efficiency savings,
- global financial crisis,
- industrial action
Résumé
Le Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) australien a trouvé dans les politiques du gouvernement travailliste un tremplin pour enclencher un mouvement de renouvellement syndical. Deux facteurs contextuels ont contribué à cet essor. D’une part, le Fair Work Act de 2009 a redonné aux organisations syndicales un droit de cité dans les lieux de travail en favorisant la négociation collective comme méthode de détermination des conditions de travail. D’autre part, cet élan favorable a trouvé une impulsion dans les politiques d’austérité mises en oeuvre par le gouvernement travailliste afin de mater le déficit budgétaire provoqué par la crise financière de 2008. Le gouvernement travailliste a d’abord exigé des compressions des dépenses de 1,5 % pour ensuite les hausser à 4 % en novembre 2011. Le gouvernement fédéral a alors donné à la Australian Public Service Commission le mandat de superviser les négociations salariales de 2011 en même temps que diverses mesures d’austérité se soldaient par des coupures de postes au sein de la fonction publique fédérale australienne. Dans ce contexte, le CPSU a développé des stratégies innovatrices visant à faire pression sur les directions des agences et sur le gouvernement central. Cet article documente plusieurs de ces actions dans le but d’évaluer dans quelle mesure elles ont contribué au renouvellement de l’action syndicale. L’analyse des matériaux suggère que ces actions ont contribué à faire de la campagne de recrutement de nouveaux membres mise en oeuvre en 2011 un vif succès. L’utilisation des nouvelles technologies de communication, l’organisation de rencontres avec les membres sur les lieux de travail et des moyens de pression novateurs ont permis de rehausser les capacités d’action de ce syndicat. Le cas étudié démontre que même dans un contexte d’austérité budgétaire, les organisations syndicales peuvent améliorer leurs moyens d’action et de mobilisation.
Mots-clés:
- renouveau syndical,
- action syndicale,
- réduction des dépenses,
- crise financière mondiale,
- moyens de pression
Resumen
La Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) australiano ha encontrado en las políticas del gobierno laboralista un trampolín para iniciar un movimiento de renovación sindical. Estos factores contextuales han contribuido a este desarrollo. De un lado, el Fair Work Act de 2009 ha devuelto a las organizaciones sindicales un derecho de ciudadanía en los lugares de trabajo favoreciendo así la negociación colectiva como método de determinación de las condiciones de trabajo. De otro lado, este impulso favorable ha encontrado un apoyo en las políticas de austeridad puestas en obra por el gobierno laboralista con el fin de controlar el déficit presupuestal provocado por la crisis financiera de 2008. El gobierno laboralista ha primero exigido la compresión de 1,5% de los gastos para luego alzarlos de 4% noviembre 2011. Luego, el gobierno federal ha dado a la Australian Public Service Commision el mandato de supervisar las negociaciones salariales de 2011 al mismo tiempo que diversas medidas de austeridad se tradujeron en supresión de puestos dentro de la función pública federal australiana. En este contexto, la CPSU ha desarrollado estrategias innovadoras con miras a hacer presiones sobre las direcciones de agencias y sobre el gobierno central. Este artículo documenta varias de estas acciones con el objetivo de evaluar en qué medida estas han contribuido a la renovación de la acción sindical. El análisis de los materiales sugiere que estas acciones han contribuido al éxito rotundo de la campana de reclutamiento de nuevos miembros realizada en 2011. La utilización de nuevas tecnologías de comunicación, la organización de encuentros con los miembros en los lugares de trabajo y los medios de presión innovadores han permitido de realzar las capacidades de acción de este sindicato. El caso estudiado demuestra que incluso en un contexto de austeridad presupuestal, las organizaciones sindicales pueden mejorar sus medios de acción y de movilización.
Palabras claves:
- renovación sindical,
- acción sindical,
- reducción de gastos,
- crisis financiera mundial,
- medios de presión
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Appendices
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