The accuracy of the content is not guaranteed. Please rely only on the authorised document. Tax Commissioner Michael Carmody today assured taxpayers there has been no impact on the business of the Tax Office today, with only a relatively small attendance by Tax Office staff at stop work meetings held by the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU). "The vast majority of staff continue to demonstrate their strong commitment to managing the community's revenue system and continuing the extensive work done so far in implementing tax reform," Mr Carmody said. "Our work has proceeded as normal with less than 10 per cent of Tax Office staff attending stop work meetings. In areas such as ABN processing, only around 60 out of 700 staff attended a stop work meeting. In our Melbourne call centre, the attendance was 15 out of around 200 staff. "We are travelling well against the plans we set at the beginning of this year for the implementation of the new tax system. For example, we have received more than 1.7 million ABN applications and issued close to 1.45 million ABNs. "We are also on track with our massive campaign to recruit around 4,700 staff to administer the GST. So far, more than 3,500 people have been recruited and a further 900 are going into training tomorrow. "The pay rises offered in our agency agreement process are 4 per cent each year, for the two years of the agreement, plus a 2 per cent bonus this year. The proposed rises recognise the efforts of people in assisting the community in implementing tax reform. "They put Tax Office staff at the forefront of pay rates in the Australian Public Service, without having to cut conditions or services to pay for them. We're also introducing initiatives aimed at supporting people in achieving a better balance between work and personal life. "The threat of industrial action is particularly disappointing after several months of consultations and negotiation. I believe we have put forward a responsible and attractive offer, including several significant changes from the initial proposal," Mr Carmody said. CANBERRA
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