The APS has established a taskforce as it moves to introduce centralised, service-wide workplace bargaining across the public service.

The move to allow bargaining was announced by Labor as part of its election policy and marks a substantial shift from the previous government’s approach.

In an open letter to federal public servants published on Tuesday, APS Commissioner Peter Woolcott says the taskforce will be responsible for developing the approach to service wide bargaining.

“This includes the development of a comprehensive workplace relations policy, with a view to undertaking service wide bargaining for common core terms and conditions in 2023,” he writes.

The new arrangements will also give agencies the flexibility to negotiate specific conditions, Mr Woolcott says.

The workplace relations bargaining taskforce, headed by Peter Riordan, is already engaged in consultation with APS agencies and public sector unions, Mr Woolocott says.

Bargaining will be limited to agencies that engage employees under the Public Service Act, but Mr Woolcott said the APS would develop separate arrangements for non APS-commonwealth agencies.

He said he also expected steps to be taken to address “pay dispersion” across the APS, consistent with the government’s expectations.

The move towards bargaining has been hailed by public sector unions as ‘real progress’ and something that members have long campaigned for.

The CPSU has argued the wage caps, wage freezes and bans on conditions improvement in the APS have left little to room to negotiate.

“Centralised bargaining means genuine negotiations directly with APS decision-makers, and the gains we win will apply to employees right across the APS.

“It also means we can start addressing the disparities in wages and conditions that have developed across the APS,” it says.