CSIRO’s proposal to change the organisation’s Postdoctoral Fellow program has been met with widespread concern from staff and consistent criticism at the lack of adequate consultation.
The controversial changes – involving the introduction of new procedures for Postdoctoral Fellows (postdocs) not consistent with enterprise agreement working conditions – have created significant disquiet among the wider CSIRO workforce.
Responding to issues raised by Staff Association representatives, CSIRO Human Resources (HR) have now released an updated procedure as part of a revised and extended consultation process slated to run until mid-April 2019.
The CSIRO Staff Association – representing hundreds of the world’s leading scientists on climate change and the environment – has announced support for the Australian School Strike 4 Climate on 15 March 2019.
Survey results suggesting that more than one third of Australian science workers have experienced sexual harassment have prompted calls for an national action plan to address the issue.
The Staff Association has sought an explanation for the continued, rigid application of a staffing cap at CSIRO despite several instances across the organisation where increased external earnings and workloads require additional resources.
The controversy over CSIRO’s engagement in Murray-Darling policy boiled over in the Senate recently with a series of tense exchanges between senior politicians and members of the Executive Team.
Anticipating the imminent announcement of a federal election, the Staff Association has contacted the major political parties seeking policy commitments on a range of issues including CSIRO funding, job security, scientific integrity and fairer enterprise bargaining.
Across Australia, this summer has been described as the hottest, wettest, dustiest, and generally most extreme on record, but just how unusual was this in context asks Helen Cleugh? 
Australian Public Service leaders have to work within a strict cap on average staffing levels, even when it seems absurd, but why are independent statutory agencies also applying the limit, asks Stephen Easton. 