Violent vocation ... Centrelink staff are being threatened with baseball bats, knives and even chainsaws, a report shows.
Centrelink staff subjected to abuse, death threats
Attacked during home visits
Threatened with knives, guns, chainsaws
AUSTRALIA`S most dangerous workplace is emerging as Centrelink, with staff on the welfare frontline subject to serious abuse and death threats.
Public servants were being threatened with baseball bats, knives and even a chainsaw, a new report has shown.
Some threats were implied but nevertheless frightening, such as the officer who received a cartoon of himself hanging from a noose.
Some Centrelink offices have been set on fire while staff making home visits have been attacked with toasters, glass flagons and ashtrays.
The national survey of Centrelink staff, who have only minimal security, revealed workers often had to cope with furniture being smashed and serious crimes, including a siege.
The Rudd Government is considering installing wall-to-wall security across its welfare agency network amid reports that four in five staff have received threats at work.
The Community and Public Sector Union`s survey of 330 workers found they were regularly exposed to verbal abuse, death threats and even physical assaults.
Centrelink, which employs 27,000 public servants in more than 300 offices around the country is responsible for distributing tens of billions of dollars in welfare and family payments a year.
One manager reported that "countless" staff had been beaten up by angry welfare recipients.
The CPSU said a third of those surveyed had received death threats and nearly two-thirds were verbally abused in the past three months.
Part of the problem was blamed on tougher eligibility rules for welfare payments and cutbacks which have led to long queues and waiting times for the tens of thousands of Australians attending Centrelink offices, the CPSU said.
CPSU national secretary Stephen Jones called for urgent action.
He said: "No one should have to come to work expecting that there is a chance they are going to get assaulted. This is one of the toughest places in Australia to work."
The CPSU survey reports that public servants are not safe even after they leave the workplace. Despite the police being regularly called into handle difficult cases, staff were exposed to attacks outside the office where they are even more vulnerable, the union claims.
Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig, responsible for Centrelink, said he was willing to consider a much tougher line on security.
He recently visited New Zealand, where its peak welfare agency has a security officer in every office.
Senator Ludwig said he was prepared to embrace the New Zealand model if that is the best possible solution to breaking the cycle of violence against public servants.
"I don`t have a one-tick solution (but) we need to address it," Senator Ludwig said
This article comes a no surprise to me. I have been in several Centrelink offices over the years when abuse, threats and violence has taken place against staff. It can be a crazy, scary place. I am on a disability pension and these days can not even go into a Centrelink office without experiencing panic attacks due to past scenes I have witnessed. I know Centrelink is one of the worst-run agencies, but the staff don't deserve to be treated the way they often are.
Posted by: jennifer of null 5:16am today
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