By Chris Slee
MELBOURNE — Victorian members of the Community and Public Sector Union working in the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs will attend stop-work meetings on June 25 to consider a motion to strike on June 28.
The meetings were called under pressure from union members. On June 11, a meeting at Coburg CES voted to strike on June 14, and to try to get support from other offices. They aimed "to begin a real industrial campaign ... to stop the closure of CES offices, further job cuts, draconian industrial relations legislation, the threat of contracts and wage cuts in the public service".
Under pressure from state officials of the CPSU, the Coburg workers deferred the action until June 28 pending discussion at a combined delegates committee meeting.
The committee and state officials have now endorsed a DEETYA stop-work mass meeting in Melbourne on June 25, as well as regional meetings. These meetings will consider proposals for a DEETYA-wide strike on June 28 and national motions for a community-oriented campaign. A motion for a national CPSU strike will also be put to the meetings.