CPA - The Guardian

On a hot, dry autumn day 2,000 public servants and their supporters from around Perth gathered at the Parliament House to protest against the government of Liberal Premier Colin Barnett’s proposals to privatise various functions of the state public service and “reform” the legislation which governs the conduct of public servants.

The government had sought to impose this as a “three card trick” of the Economic Audit Committee report, Public Sector Reform Bill and a revised version of WorkChoices into the state industrial relations system in at attempt to increase the efficiency of the public service, lower costs and introduce horizontal flexibility for workers across the sector.

Community and Public Sector Union branch secretary Toni Walkington addressed the rally to reinforce to members and the community why they were out there in front of the state legislature.

He said public servants care about society and the community they live in and reject any stereotypical public servant bashing which the state Treasurer Troy Buswell indulges in when he announced cuts to agency budgets and the bureaucracy.

“The bureaucracy is about protecting consumers, ensuring occupational health safety and welfare in our workplaces, protecting resources and the environment and ensuring access to services for all,” he said.

He said Western Australia has the highest rate of population growth in the country and also one of the most buoyant economies and that there was no reason to cut services.

The government recently announced it was seeking to cut at least 300 jobs by June 30 this year.

Yet as the Economic Audit Committee Final Report had revealed in October 2009, privatisation was definitely on the agenda to reduce the cost of providing public services.

Already various areas of the public sector are being prepared for privatisation including Correctional Services, Vehicle Licensing, Disability Services Commission, Main Roads and Forestry. The latter has already begun with 90 mostly regional jobs being axed at the Forest Products Commission.

The CPSU/CSA is currently considering further industrial action to progress their demands for accountability on the governments’ proposals for change to the public sector.

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