A worker at an Australian Taxation Office (ATO) outsourced call centre has lodged a Fair Work Commission application demanding equal pay with directly employed ATO staff. Nathan Brunne, employed by private equity-backed Probe Operations, is relying on the Albanese government's workplace reforms that aim to prevent labour hire firms from paying workers less than direct employees doing the same work.
The application challenges the ATO's extensive use of for-profit call centres, where workers report low pay, poor conditions, insufficient training, and high staff turnover. Despite having the same duties, systems access, and security obligations as ATO staff, outsourced workers earn tens of thousands of dollars less annually.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has joined the application, with deputy national president Beth Vincent-Pietsch stating that private contract arrangements cost taxpayers more while workers receive lesser pay and conditions. The Australian Services Union indicated it would also support Brunne. Probe's legal counsel said the company would oppose the application, while the ATO has yet to formalise its position.
If successful, the order would require Probe, Concentrix Services, and Serco to pay rates equivalent to those in the ATO's public sector agreement. The legal argument will centre on whether the outsourcing is a genuine service arrangement or an attempt to access cheap labour. The ATO awarded $316.5 million in call centre contracts to these firms in 2023, despite a government framework to reduce outsourcing.
