Minister for Industrial Relations, Peter Reith’s secret plans for the Public Service have been exposed today in Question Time.
In a question to Senator Richard Alston, Minister representing the Minister for Industrial Relations in the Senate, ACT Senator Kate Lundy revealed that the Government is formulating further plans for the public service that will result in serious changes to employee conditions.
It was revealed that leaked minutes show that Minister Reith had briefed the Treasury, Finance and Public Administration Government Backbench Committee on the Government’s future plans for the Commonwealth Public Service.
The Government’s plans include:
· the need to encourage more private sector practice in the public sector
· a wide ranging review of leave and allowance payments, and
· the need for more direct relationships between public servants and management
“Translated this means individual contracts and the slashing of public servant awards,” Senator Lundy said.
“If public servants thought they had survived the worst from this government, they now must think again. Minutes leaked from the Government committee clearly show that the Government is planning further attacks on public service workers.
“The Government intends to draw back the hard-earned conditions in the public service to the barest minimum experienced in the private sector.
“What is sad is that the Democrats, by agreeing to pass the Workplace Relations Bill, is essentially serving up the public service to the Government on a platter. When public servants have been sacked, discriminated against and their conditions slashed, the Democrats can feel fully responsible,” Senator Lundy said.
