Union attacks Vic govt’s job cuts

The Victorian Government has shown contempt for its workforce and tried to dodge scrutiny with the timing of its release of details of 3600 public service job cuts, a union says.

Ordered by Fair Work Australia (FWA) to deliver details by Monday, the Baillieu government released the figures at 5pm (AEST) on Friday, after parliament rose for an eight-week winter break.

Nine hundred public sector jobs have already gone, with the government targeting 2600 voluntary redundancies.

Of the initial 3600 jobs to go, the Department of Human Services is taking the biggest hit with 500 positions to be cut followed by the Department of Justice with 480.

VicRoads will lose 450 positions and Victoria Police 350, with the departments of Sustainability Environment and Education Early Childhood Development each losing 400.

The state’s Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) attacked the government’s timing and said the details it had released were inadequate.

“This is a cynical attempt to avoid any scrutiny by the parliament, by the media or by us,” CPSU state secretary Karen Batt said.

“We still don’t know where these people work, where they live, and there’s still not enough information for (affected) people to make decisions about their lives.

“It just shows the contempt the government has for its workforce.”

The government announced in its May budget that another 600 positions would go on top of the 3600 flagged in December.

On Friday it said public service numbers had already been reduced by 910 since December through attrition and the non-renewal of fixed-term contracts.

It said applications had been made to the tax office for 2600 voluntary departure packages (VDPs) across government departments and agencies.

Departments are now informing staff about their share of the first announcement of 3600 job reductions.

Premier Ted Baillieu said the departments were working on detailed implementation plans and their VDP offers.

The government says it is targeting a reduction in administrative and back-office roles over two years through natural attrition, a recruitment freeze, letting fixed-term contracts lapse and the voluntary redundancies.

It expects that slashing 4200 public-sector jobs will save $1 billion over four years.

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