Community and Public Sector Union
Encyclopedia
The Community and Public Sector Union (more commonly known as the CPSU) is a national trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

History of The CPSU

The CPSU came into existence on 1 July 1994 as a result of the amalgamation of the Public Sector, Professional, Scientific, Research, Technical, Communication, Aviation and Broadcasting Union ("PSU") with the State Public Services Federation
State Public Services Federation
The State Public Service Federation Group is a federation of trade unions covering the public services of the Australian states.Along with the PSU Group, the SPSF is one component part of the Community and Public Sector Union...

 ( "SPSF" ). For administrative purposes the CPSU now operates through two groups ; the SPSF Group and the PSU Group. The SPSF Group generally represents State Public Sector employees and University general staff and the PSU Group the Commonwealth employees. These groups reflect the pre-existing eligibility and industrial coverage of the amalgamating organisations.

The CPSU is one of the largest trade unions in Australia. The PSU group has approximately 60 000 members. The State Public Service Federation (SPSF) Group, has over 100 000 members, for a combined total of 160 000 members across the country.

CPSU SPSF Group

The SPSF was first registered as a Federal union on 30 July 1976. Initially, the SPSF covered a limited range of State public sector employees because of Constitutional limitations; it was unclear until the 1980s how widely the SPSF was able to operate, particularly as a party to industrial disputes. Starting with the decision of the High Court in the CYSS case, it appeared that these constraints were eroding.
In 1984 the SPSF successfully changed its rules in order that its eligibility paralleled that of the State registered unions that made up the SPSF. These State unions are called "Associated Bodies".

The Associated Bodies have a very long history, extending in most cases from the 19th century. For instance, the NSW Branch is the Public Service Association of NSW
Public Service Association of NSW
The Public Service Association of NSW is a union which represents New South Wales Government, NSW university and related private sector employees. The union is registered under New South Wales state legislation....

. It celebrated 100 years of existence as a public sector union in NSW, in 1999.

With the exception of University employees and members in Victoria, the SPSF Group consists of each relevant State Public Sector Union who is registered in the State Industrial body. EG, PSA of NSW members are NSW State Public Sector Employees registered under the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
  • New South Wales
    New South Wales
    New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

     - PSA, Public Service Association of NSW
  • Queensland
    Queensland
    Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

     - QPSU, Queensland Public Sector Union
    Queensland Public Sector Union
    The Queensland Public Sector Union is an Australian trade union for most workers employed by the Queensland state government. The QPSU operates on an organising model, which entails making delegates and members more participatory in their industrial activism....

  • South Australia
    South Australia
    South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

     - PSA, The Public Service Association of SA
  • Western Australia
    Western Australia
    Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

     - CSA, Civil Service Association of WA
  • Tasmania
    Tasmania
    Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

     - SPSF Tasmania

CPSU The General Staff Union

The CPSU SPSF Group uses the branding of "The General Staff Union" due to its representation of only General Staff throughout higher education. Along with the State Associated Bodies representing administrative and support staff through state-based schools, TAFEs and universities, nationwide the CPSU is the largest union representing education employees.

In 2008, the CPSU launched their new website www.thegeneralstaffunion.org.au

CPSU PSU Group

The PSU Group represents Commonwealth or Federal Public Service Employees as well as Territory public service (ACT and NT). This generally reflects the industrial coverage as well as employer.

External links


Peak CPSU Bodies


State Branches of CPSU-SPSF

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