Centrelink staff working in remote Aboriginal communities are taking legal action against their employer after they were told the agency would no longer pay their utility bills.
In one case, the welfare agency warned the public servants, who are seconded to the Northern Territory as part of the Government's emergency intervention, that their electricity supplies could be cut off unless they paid the bills themselves.
The dispute was lodged with Fair Work Australia yesterday, the new tribunal's first day of operations.
About 200 Centrelink staff are temporarily based in Alice Springs and Darwin as part of the federal intervention to improve Aboriginal living conditions. The officers spend most of their week travelling to remote communities.
Centrelink had until yesterday paid their gas, water and electricity bills to compensate them for volunteering to work in the territory.
The Community and Public Sector Union, which represents some of the staff, said it was angered and disappointed by the decision to end the subsidy. Lead organiser Jason Markwick said Centrelink warned workers they would be disciplined unless they passed on bank details to allow the agency to transfer liability for the bills.
''These are people who have decided to move away from their families and help out some of the most disadvantaged Australians. They get no additional pay, no benefits, no perks ... They're shocked at the disrespect they're being shown,'' he said.
But Centrelink had warned staff it was only paying their bills temporarily, a spokeswoman for the agency said last night. ''Centrelink has been working with staff in the NT for the last two months to discuss changes to these arrangements, effective from July 1.''
One human resources officer sent a message to a remote Centrelink worker yesterday, asking him for his bank details. The note, obtained by The Canberra Times, expressed concern the worker ''could be without power from tomorrow and I would not like that to happen''.
But Centrelink said last night it would not instruct utilities to disconnect staff's power or water services.
The union says staff are entitled to the subsidy under their wage agreement, which ensures employees ''pay normal living and accommodation costs in [only] one locality'', and that Centrelink reimburse them for ''reasonable additional costs'' at their usual home if they are seconded to another area.
The dispute is the latest controversy to dog the intervention after a series of mishaps.
Hundreds of public servants were evacuated from remote communities in 2007 after they were exposed to carcinogens including formaldehyde and asbestos in their makeshift housing. The bureaucrats were again forced out of new demountable houses earlier this year after concerns were raised about poor air quality in the buildings.
Fair Work Australia is scheduled to hear the dispute over the utility bills today.
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