Workers across the Department of Human Services (DHS) have voted in favour of taking industrial action over enterprise bargaining negotiations.

Staff say the talks have ground to a halt, and so workers at Centrelink, Medicare the Child Support Agency and others will take action.

Reports claim the strikes could disrupt rebates and welfare payments.

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) national secretary Nadine Flood says workers are angry at having their rights and conditions stripped away, but they will not leave members of the public vulnerable as a result.

The union says about 80 per cent of 15,000 DHS staff took part in the ballot,  and 95 per cent voted in favour of the stoppage. 

It is expected the strike will be undertaken through rejection of uniform policies, giving out set messages instead of replying to phone calls and emails and other less disruptive moves.

Ms Flood says public servants know the vital role they play, but the Government appears not to.

“Like the Australian Defence Force, working mums at Centrelink and Medicare are being asked to cop cuts to leave and other rights, as well as pay offers less than 1 per cent,” she said.

“But unlike the military they are allowed to protest and take industrial action, and this result now sends a clear message to Government that it is time to sit down and sort these problems out.

“[Employment] Minister Eric Abetz has made some fairly extravagant claims that we will be targeting Centrelink payments in the run up to Christmas.

“[Those claims] are just plain wrong, the CPSU has never said anything of the sort.

“Our members' actions will be directed at the department and the Government, not at the payments that families and pensioners rely on,” she said.

A statement from Senator Eric Abetz, the Minister responsible for public sector bargaining, claimed that the CPSU was making irresponsible wage claims at a time when the nation must tighten its belt.

“The CPSU should abandon its irresponsible claim for a 12 per cent wage rise, which is simply not affordable and, if granted, would cost the jobs of 10,000 public servants,” he said.

“Any wage increase will see a further increase in Australia's borrowings. This claim is not about profit sharing but increasing our debt which taxpayers will need to repay with interest.

“It is concerning that the CPSU's irresponsible industrial action threatens to disrupt Centrelink and Medicare services to millions of Australia in the lead up to Christmas.”