Retired unionists and community members gathered in Sydney’s west on September 19 to demand the federal Coalition government stop the creeping privatisation of Centrelink and reverse cuts and job losses in the national social security agency.
Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) deputy secretary Melissa Donnelly told the forum: "There were 55 million unanswered phone calls to Centrelink last year, because of staff cuts and shortages.
"The government is outsourcing jobs to private call centres run by companies like Serco. This means that public services, paid for by the taxpayer, are being handed over to big business.
"This is a disgrace. Our union and the general community need to join together to stand up against these attacks," Donnelly said.
The forum, held in the Revesby Workers Club, was organised by the Retired Unionists Network in collaboration with the CPSU.