Mr Swan unleashed a broadside at the Turnbull government this week, accusing it of having contempt for the men and women working in Commonwealth departments who now live in fear of their jobs being casualised outsourced or privatised.

The former Treasurer said 'Orwellian' language was being deployed to try to disguise the reality of what was being done to government workers.

Mr Swan said he had spoken to dozens of public servants in his north Brisbane electorate who had expressed their frustration with the marathon dispute between the Coalition government and many of its public servants which has now been dragging on since 2013.

"Over 100,000 Australian government workers are now in their sixth year of what was supposed to be a three-year collective bargaining agreement," Mr Swan told Parliament's Federation Chamber on Monday.

"They are committed public servants, they support families, they've done so without a pay rise for three years and they're struggling to hold on to the basic workplace rights and conditions that other Australian's sometimes take for granted."

The office of Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has been contacted for comment.

Mr Swan, now a Labor backbencher, said Coalition policies had left public servants living in fear.

"Since these people opposite came to government they've sacked something like one in 10 public sector workers," he said.

"And those that are remaining have suffered real wage decreases while watching their jobs become increasingly casualised and fearing the ultimate goal being the outsourcing or privatisation of their employment opportunities.

"At no stage has there been any genuine consultation with their own workforce.

"Orwellian language such as jobs being 'reimagined' or 'refreshed' are simply a substitute for people simply being shafted."