The Wire

Verbal abuse, spitting, threats with bloody needles and being hit with human faecies. Not the sort of treatment you’d expect in your average office job. But according to the Community and Public Sector Union (or CPSU) this is what some Centrelink staff are dealing with. They conducted a survey of 330 staff members, and found that 82 % had reported being threatened by a customer at work. They’re calling for an independent inquiry into the causes of violence at Centrelink offices.