- The Guardian
- Issue #2159
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has warned that an ongoing agenda of aggressive cuts at the CSIRO is putting Australia’s long-term productivity and innovation capacity at risk.
Under the leadership of Doug Hilton, the CSIRO is enduring the organisations biggest job cuts in a decade. More than 440 staff have already been cut and approximately 200 contract jobs were left to expire, with hundreds more cuts expected to be made to research units later this year.
These cuts come at a time when Australia’s investment in research and development is already low by international standards.
In a submission to the Economic Reform Roundtable, the union has warned that Australia’s long-term productivity and innovation capacity is being actively undermined by aggressive job cuts and underinvestment in the public institution that powers research, science and economic growth.
The CPSU is calling on the federal government to step in, stop the cuts and commit to the long-term stability of Australia’s national science agency.
Susan Tonks, CSIRO Staff Association Section Secretary, said,“The work of the CSIRO is essential to lifting national productivity and driving economic growth.
“Unfortunately, there’s a clear disconnect between the government’s talk about boosting productivity and their failure to support the very institution that helps deliver it.
“Publicly funded research and development is where some of the biggest gains in productivity have come from.
“But deep job cuts at the CSIRO are directly undermining Australia’s ability to innovate, compete and grow. And this will continue to be the case as long as this government sits on its hands while hundreds of staff at the CSIRO are shown the door with little to no explanation.
“If this government is serious about productivity, it must step in, stop the cuts, and back our country’s peak science institution.”
PARASITE OF THE WEEK: is mining giant Glencore. Ulan Underground mineworkers have condemned Glencore for bringing in 60 contract mineworkers with another 80 reportedly on the way as strike-breakers to undermine their lawful protected industrial action to secure fair pay and conditions.
Workers report that the contractors are being bussed in as the permanent workforce continues its rolling campaign of 2-hour stoppages each shift to address wages that lag industry standards, including at Glencore’s adjoining mine.
“This is a low act from Glencore,” said Craig Carberry, Mining and Energy Union (MEU) NSW South-West District Vice President.
“They are refusing to address the reasonable concerns of their permanent local workforce, like why are they are not paid the same rate as Glencore’s own workforce two kilometres down the road at Ulan West. Now they’re rubbing salt into the wound by bringing in contractors on even more money to undermine lawful industrial action.
“It’s a slap in the face to those of us who’ve kept this mine running for decades, who live in Mudgee, spend our wages locally and contribute to the community. Glencore is treating us as second-class workers in our own town.”
Matt Purtle, President of the Ulan Underground Lodge, said members are furious.
“People here have stuck with Glencore through thick and thin, and this is the thanks we get? Seeing contractors bussed in to take our jobs during a dispute, on a better rate of pay,” Purtle said.
“It’s hard enough to swallow that Glencore won’t lift our base rate to match Ulan West. Now they’re rubbing salt in the wound by paying ring-ins even more than that.”
The MEU is calling on Glencore to immediately halt the use of strike-breakers, return to the bargaining table and make a fair offer that respects the local workforce and community.
