A Voice for Members, a rank-and-file ticket contesting the Community and Public Sector Union elections scheduled for June-July, drew more than 100 public sector workers and supporters to a protest against Labor’s proposed job cuts, on May 27, outside the Victorian Parliament.
Victorian Labor’s Silver Review, part of its 2025–2026 budget, aims to reduce the public sector to pre-pandemic levels. Up to 3000 public sector jobs are slated to be cut.
Speakers included a range of public sector workers. Greens MP Gabrielle Di Vietri said it was “unconscionable that the Labor government is proposing such job cuts”. She said the government should be “prioritising” robust services “that serve the community”.
Matthia, who works for the State Library of Victoria, spoke about how Victorian Labor had implemented cuts by stealth by restructuring the department. They said it had led to huge and untenable workloads for workers.
Yen, who works for the Department of Education, spoke out how public sector job cuts disproportionately impact marginalised groups, including young people, people of color and First Nations people. She also criticised the government’s use of contractors and private consultants within the public service.
Amelia Taylor, a Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) delegate who works for the federal public sector spoke about her work experiences. She said workers need to get organised to resist any moves by the government to implement cuts in the sector. “Nothing is won without a fight.”
Mitch Vandewerdt, who is running on the Voice for Members ticket for Assistant Secretary, said the proposed cuts are a example of “misguided austerity”. If the government was really committed to cutting waste, they said, it would be start with cutting the enormous pay being handed to government executives and subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry.