By Kim Linden
MELBOURNE — At a stop-work meeting of State Public Service Federation of Victoria members here on March 29, child protection workers who had been on strike since March 8 voted to return to work so that the Employee Relations Commission can begin proceedings for a 4% wage increase. The original claim was for 11.4%.
The Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) has indicated that it will negotiate on matters "unrelated to government policy on the understanding that industrial action cease". This proviso will probably exclude the issues of excessive workloads and under-staffing.
The strike by 2000 child protection workers was the longest since the Kennett government was elected. It has exposed the vicious tactics that Victorian big business and its state government are prepared to use to break resistance to their anti-worker, anti-union agenda.
The government conducted an intense propaganda campaign against the strikers, including $150,000-$200,000 worth of advertisements in the major newspapers.
On March 22, the Herald Sun, under the heading "Child death fear in strike", ran an interview with Justice John Fogarty saying the strike was preventing the investigation of hundreds of child abuse cases. On March 23, the Age carried an article titled "Volunteer workers step in and forge new bonds", along with government advertisements thanking the volunteers.
One worker who could not be named told Green Left Weekly that strikebreakers were paid $30 an hour compared to the $12 the workers receive. She also said that the government used bouncers, not just police, to break the strike.
In the meantime, government is using intimidation to persuade workers to sign individual contracts.
A recent open letter from the Community and Public Sector Union reveals that Victorian government employees have suffered:
- removal of the 17.5% leave loading (equivalent to a 1.5% wage cut);
- removal of two public holidays (equivalent to a 1% wage cut);
- forced increases to superannuation contributions (equivalent to an average 7% wage cut);
- removal of access to the Employee Relations Commission of Victoria unless with permission of the employer;
- abolition of the Victorian Public Service Board;
- removal of a 5.9% pay rise negotiated in 1992.