The public sector union is calling on the federal government to suspend its controversial Centrelink debt recovery system, warning the public will suffer as staff struggle to cope.
The CPSU says service standards have already dropped to unacceptable levels following thousands of job cuts in the Department of Human Services, with the latest scandal piling on more pressure.
“There’s a perfect storm of work coming, with this debt recovery scheme likely to be just part of the problem,” assistant national secretary Michael Tull said on Tuesday.
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The union is calling on the government to shift thousands of DHS casuals to permanent staff to deal with the deluge of work.
Linda Burney, Labor’s human services spokeswoman, said a “perfect storm” was brewing at Centrelink and backed calls to suspend the system.
“Centrelink is at breaking point,” Ms Burney said in Sydney on Tuesday.
“This is nothing but a money grab by this government.”