Anti-Kennett rally for May 5

By Pip Hinman

MELBOURNE -- Public sector unions are planning a rally on May 5 against the Kennett government's recent horror mini-budget. Among other cuts, it forecast the slashing of another 15,000 jobs and severely reducing the superannuation benefits of public sector workers.

Union officials called the rally following a refusal by Kennett to negotiate on ways to reduce the state's deficit. A union proposal for an emergency summit of government, employers, unions and community groups to discuss ways of tackling the financial problem was rejected despite an April 15 Age poll which showed over 80% public support for such an approach.

Officials from the Federated Teachers Union of Victoria, the Victorian Secondary Teachers Association, the State Public Services Federation and the Health Services Union have said that the summit would be useful, but could not replace the proposed rally on May 5. According to an Age report, Jan Armstrong, HSU secretary, said that unless the government was prepared to make concessions there was little public sector workers could do but take industrial action.

Unions are also putting pressure on the federal government to withhold approval for an extra $600 million loan which the state government intends to apply for to finance the redundancy packages of another 15,300 public sector workers. In March the federal government approved $400 million for public sector redundancies.

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