Nathan Brunne, a former call centre worker for Probe Operations, has filed a 'same job, same pay' application with the Fair Work Commission. The application addresses allegations of structural wage disparities between outsourced employees and public service employees at Australian Taxation Office (ATO) call centres, with hearings scheduled to begin late next month.

A Commission submission states that workers at ATO outsourced call centres receive compensation that is up to 40 percent lower than public service employees performing equivalent work. Brunne filed his application during the previous year while employed at Probe, citing a 2025 court ruling that required mining company BHP to increase the pay of subsidiary coalmine workers to align with direct employees as partial motivation. Brunne said, "The pay gap is not marginal, it is structural and widens at higher classification levels." He added, "This is the direct consequence of routing equivalent work through a lower-paying intermediary, and is precisely the kind of wage arbitrage [the reform] was enacted to address."

The Albanese government previously implemented workplace reforms intended to prevent employers from using labour hire firms to pay workers less than direct employees performing largely the same work. If Brunne's application succeeds, the outsourced call centres will be required to match the pay rates of ATO staff covered by a public sector agreement.

The ATO uses three private call centre operators: Probe Operations, Concentrix Services, and Serco. Concentrix Services is a United States-listed company, while Serco is a British multinational company. Submissions state that a frontline outsourced call centre worker earns $28.12 per hour, compared to $39.35 per hour for an equivalent public service position. Submissions state that an outsourced team leader earns $30.68 per hour, compared to $52.75 per hour for an equivalent ATO role.

The Community and Public Sector Union joined the proceedings to support Brunne's application. The union submitted that outsourced workers perform their duties entirely within ATO systems, using agency-issued scripts, call management platforms, and workplace policies. Probe's legal counsel stated to the Commission that the company provides a distinct service and that a same job, same pay order would be unfair.