Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU - PSU Group)

What Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU - PSU Group) does

The Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU - PSU Group) is an Australian trade union representing workers across the federal, Australian Capital Territory, and Northern Territory public sectors. The union covers members employed by approximately 250 federal and territory government agencies, departments, and government-owned companies, providing industrial relations representation, collective bargaining, and workplace advocacy. The organisation is led by National Secretary Melissa Donnelly and is staffed by approximately 159 employees operating from regional offices across Australia.

The CPSU - PSU Group operates as a registered not-for-profit membership organisation. Its sole revenue stream is tax-deductible membership fees structured on a salary-tiered basis, with the top tier paying approximately A$42.50 per fortnight and lower salary tiers paying approximately A$12.10 per fortnight. The union does not develop or sell technology products; its core activities centre on enterprise bargaining (notably the 2026 APS Bargaining round), policy campaigning on workplace issues such as Same Job Same Pay and the introduction of AI in public sector workplaces, and the delivery of member services including legal support via a partnership with Slater+Gordon Lawyers.

The organisation's competitive position rests on statutory registration under the Fair Work framework, exclusive enterprise bargaining rights within its coverage scope, and an embedded delegate network across public sector workplaces. Recent operational priorities include the APS Bargaining campaign, lobbying on outsourced Australian Taxation Office staff, a workplace AI campaign launched in October 2025, and the 2025 CPSU internal elections. The organisation is subject to Australian regulatory compliance, including the June 2026 Workplace Gender Equality Agency report lodgement.

Name

Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU - PSU Group)

Legal name

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU)

Website

https://cpsu.org.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU - PSU Group) is an Australian trade union representing workers across approximately 250 federal and territory government agencies, funded by salary-tiered membership fees and providing collective bargaining and workplace advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Haymarket, New South Wales

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: The CPSU generates revenue primarily through voluntary membership fees paid by public sector workers. Fees are tax deductible and structured by salary tier, with payment options including fortnightly direct debit, quarterly (with 2.5% discount), and monthly credit card payments.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The CPSU is a not-for-profit trade union that provides workplace representation, industrial advice, collective bargaining, and advocacy services to public sector workers across the Australian Public Service, ACT/NT Governments, telecommunications, broadcasting, CSIRO, and related industries. Members also receive bundled benefits including legal help, free online wills, journey insurance, study and bereavement grants, member discounts, and access to CPSU Aspire online learning.

Product overview

The CPSU (PSU Group) is a union representing workers in federal and territory governments, telecommunications, call centres, employment services, commercial broadcasting, aviation, and science and research. The organization offers core membership services including workplace representation, industrial advice through the Member Service Centre, and collective bargaining support. Member benefits include discounts, journey insurance, legal services, study grants, and online learning through CPSU Aspire. The union operates specialty networks (NATSIC, Accessibility, CALD, Queer) and an e-commerce shop for branded merchandise. The organization does not offer a technology product platform but provides member-facing web services including a member portal, tax statement access, and campaign resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NATSIC: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Caucus - a CPSU member network providing a united voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.
• CPSU Queer Network
• CPSU CALD Network
• CPSU Accessibility Network
• Member Service Centre

Products and services

• CPSU Membership
• Member Service Centre
• CPSU Aspire Online Learning
• Member Benefits Program
• CPSU Shop
• NATSIC (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Caucus)
• CPSU Accessibility Network
• CPSU CALD Network
• CPSU Queer Network

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Slater+Gordon LawyersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPSU has partnered with Slater+Gordon lawyers to provide members with free online will service and legal help and advice. This partnership provides members with access to professional legal services as part of their membership benefits.
• Slater+Gordon LawyersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSC staff work with Slater+Gordon lawyers alongside other external stakeholders such as Comcare, the Merit Protection Commission and the Australian Human Rights Commission to ensure members get the best and most current advice.
• Australian Human Rights CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPSU works with the Australian Human Rights Commission on issues including anti-racism frameworks, Respect@Work initiatives, and discrimination matters affecting APS employees.
• ComcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPSU works with Comcare (Commonwealth workers' compensation authority) on workers' compensation matters and workplace health and safety issues affecting members.
• Fair Work CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPSU engages with the Fair Work Commission on workplace disputes, 'same job, same pay' cases, and industrial relations matters affecting public sector workers.
• Merit Protection CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPSU works with the Merit Protection Commission on matters relating to merit-based employment in the APS and employee appeals.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Health Services Union (HSU): Union covering health and community services workers in public and private settings. Comparable in structure and represents a similar public-sector-adjacent workforce with member benefit programs.
• Public Service Association of NSW (PSA NSW): State-registered union representing NSW public sector employees. Direct peer in workplace representation, enterprise bargaining, and member services for government workers, though operating in a different state jurisdiction than CPSU's NSW coverage.
• Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF): Federation of state nursing unions representing nurses and midwives, predominantly in public health systems. Comparable as a large specialist public-sector union with subscription-based revenue and enterprise bargaining focus.
• Australian Workers' Union (AWU): One of Australia's largest traditional unions covering manufacturing, construction, and public sector workers. Direct peer in collective bargaining, with overlapping membership categories and similar governance via elected officials.
• Transport Workers Union (TWU): Australian union covering transport, aviation, and logistics workers, including some public sector roles. Overlaps with CPSU's aviation section and shares the regulatory/industrial relations advocacy model.
• Australian Education Union (AEU): National union representing public school teachers and education workers across Australia. Direct peer in federal/state public sector representation, with similar subscription model and member benefits structure.
• Australian Services Union (ASU): Australian union covering similar public sector and community/social service workers across federal and state agencies. Direct peer as both represent APS-adjacent workforces and compete for the same member pool in overlapping employer settings.
• United Workers Union (UWU): Large Australian union formed by merging the National Union of Workers and others, covering commercial, manufacturing, and some public sector workers. Comparable in scale (~100K+ members) and operates similar membership-based subscription model with member benefits.
• Australian and New Zealand Workers' Union (AWU): Wait - same as above. Use: Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU).
• National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU): Union for staff at Australian universities and higher education providers, many of which are public sector institutions. Direct peer with overlapping institutional membership base (e.g., CSIRO-adjacent research workforce).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CPSUnion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cpsu-psu-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/cpsunion
• TikToktiktok.com/@cpsunion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community & Public Sector Union (CPSU - PSU Group)