Hundreds of Centrelink call centre operators at Dandenong and Mill Park in Melbourne have been sacked. Employed聽by Serco, under contract to Centrelink, they were informed on October 20 that they would not have a job in 10 day's time.
Australian Services Union (ASU) Victoria private sector branch secretary Matt Norrey said the sackings were a 鈥渄isgraceful attack鈥 on frontline workers administering 鈥渢he nation鈥檚 safety net amid a deep recession鈥.聽
He said it was 鈥渉ypocritical鈥 of the federal government to release a budget saying 鈥渋t鈥檚 about protecting jobs鈥 and the next week聽420 people are sacked from聽Centrelink.
The frontline workers face a Christmas without work or income and millions of people who rely on Centrelink聽for support during the pandemic will also be affected.
The聽sacked聽staff will not receive separation payments, or redundancies, because they are casual employees despite many being on staff for more than two years.聽
The ASU said a significant proportion of those who were sacked worked regular full-time hours on casual contracts.
Serco said the decision was made after Services Australia amended its contract to reduce the work it carried out.聽 From October 30, after-hours processing work will no longer be part of Serco鈥檚 contract with Services Australia.
The work will be allocated to a telephone call聽centre network within Services Australia.
The聽ASU said it was urging Services Australia to redeploy workers at Serco call centres for the Australian Taxation Office and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Sinead McKinlay, one of the sacked workers, told the October 20 Melbourne Age that she and her colleagues 鈥渇elt sick鈥 when they received their notice to meet with managers.
鈥淲ith our history with Serco, there is no trust 鈥 People knew something was coming 鈥 We鈥檝e been given nine days鈥 notice because we鈥檙e casual. So it鈥檚 legal, but I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 fair or ethical.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of younger and older workers, and workers with English as a second language. They will struggle in the job market and face financial hardship,鈥 McKinlay said.