Brumby's job commitment rings hollow.
The decision to reduce its centrally funded pay component will effectively force cash strapped service delivery agencies to cut services to survive.
Government agencies will have to manipulate their budgets to retain and attract quality staff to run vital public services with the equivalent of $100M to be effectively cut from public services each year.
Departments and Agencies manipulate their budgets by;
- leaving funded positions unfilled,
- delaying making appointments to replace staff who leave,
- engaging low paid agency contract staff in lieu of funded positions,
- increasingly shifting employment to fixed term rather than ongoing appointments,
- not renewing contracts,
- pushing more and more work onto existing staff.
- This will render the jobs initiative counterproductive.
It's clearly a bargaining strategy.
Call on Labor to bargain in good faith and adequately fund public services.
KAREN BATT
CPSU Victorian Branch Secretary