When public servants strike, how should government agencies respond?

Key Points:

Government agencies need a good understanding of possible responses to union action and pay issues for staff taking industrial action.

The Community and Public Sector Union has applied for a protected action ballot order to give Department of Human Services staff the option of striking. This strongly indicates that industrial action is the union's intended tactic for dealing with pay offers that fail to meet its 4 percent a year wage claim.

Understanding what industrial action is and the legal framework in which it now operates is crucial for government agencies. In particular, they need a good understanding of possible responses to union action and whether staff who take industrial action should continue to receive their usual wages.