Management staff at the Australian Bureau of Statistics have been marched out the door this week, the first of flagged cuts the bureau says are necessary to redress a pay rise.
A total of 31 employees have been told their services are no longer required and have been forced to take two weeks leave and reconsider their career.
Upset staff contacted The Canberra Times saying colleagues were escorted off the premises. An email from Australian Statistician Brian Pink, circulated to staff on Thursday, said the first round of dismissals had been completed.
''The past three days have been unsettling for the organisation as we have been holding discussions with a number of our senior managers regarding their future at the ABS,'' the email read.
The Community and Public Sector Union claim those affected include six senior executive service staff and nine directors. The union has taken umbrage with the way the discussions were handled, according to deputy national secretary Nadine Flood.
For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times