Public service bosses are accused of double standards for seeking official public recognition for its stance on domestic violence while refusing to allow its public servants the right to specific leave provisions for workers who suffer abuse at home.
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The main public sector union says Australian Hearing has reneged on a deal for specified domestic violence leave to the agency's next enterprise agreement, acting on the orders of the Australian Public Service Commission, while seeking the status of a "recognised employer" from the White Ribbon Foundation.
The accusations look set to revive the bitter row between the Community and Public Sector Union, key figures in the Australian Public Service and their political boss, Employment Minister Michaelia Cash.
But the claims by the CPSU are "unconscionable" according to Public Service Commissioner John Lloyd who says public servants do not need specific provisions for family violence leave because there are plenty of other mechanisms for DV victims to take time off work.
The union says Australian Hearing, which has defended its efforts on the issue, initially agreed at the bargaining table to include the provisions in its new enterprise agreement.
But when the agreement was submitted to the Public Service Commission, which enforces the hardline Abbott-era public sector bargaining policy, the provisions were scotched with AH told specified DV leave was an "enhancement" to existing conditions which are banned under the policy.
CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said public servants deserved specific and enforceable DV leave provisions.
"Australian Hearing's efforts to become a White Ribbon recognised employer would be commendable, but not when the Turnbull government's draconian bargaining policy means these workers are being denied the legally enforceable right to domestic violence leave," Ms Flood said.
"Australian Hearing may have worked hard on developing procedures to deal with domestic violence, but the reality is that falls a long way short of leave and support granted as a legal right through an enterprise agreement.
"Asking your boss for family violence leave is hard enough when it's an enforceable right, let alone when the government's forcing its removal from agreements."
Australian Hearing did not answer questions on whether it was directed to remove the provisions from the agreement but a spokeswoman defended the agency's case for White Ribbon Workplace accreditation.
"Australian Hearing has introduced staff training and is developing policies and procedures relating to family and domestic violence," she said.
"Under Australian Hearing's current and proposed enterprise agreement, if a staff member is affected by domestic violence they can access general leave.
"General leave is uncapped and provides Australian Hearing with flexibility to support employees who are affected by domestic violence in a confidential manner."
The Public Service Commission did not answer questions on whether it had ordered the provisions removes but Mr Lloyd issued a statement saying that domestic violence violence victims would always get full and sensitive support from the Australian Public Service.
"Where issues arise about the granting of leave, a range of review mechanisms both within and outside of enterprise agreements are available to employees," Mr Lloyd said.
"Employees of Australian Hearing have access to a range of existing leave entitlements that are used in a domestic violence situation. The same is true in other agencies. Access to these leave entitlements for domestic violence has not changed.
"The comments from the CPSU were, in my view, unconscionable."
