Union members and supporters from across the public sector will be out the front of 1 Treasury place today from 1pm to respond to the jobs ambush announcement two weeks ago.
We're here because the Premier and the Treasurer wouldn't come and speak to us prior to them announcing 3,000 jobs were expected to go but no other detail was forthcoming about who, how, and why the targeted savings is to be just focussed on coming from the smallest and lowest paid areas they've insultingly described as not 'frontline'.
We're here to display to their colleagues as Cabinet will be meeting that what they've done in announcing a review and trying to leave the impression they're on top of the job doesn't wash with their workforce.
We're here to show our collective support as public sector unions to stand up for our services, and our members, and Victorians.
Announcing you'll pay more consultants to explore inefficiencies to save public money is a cruel joke when the inefficiency is right there staring you in the face contained in your announcement.
Our public sector is made up over 330,000 dedicated individuals delivering public services and is the smallest in size per capita of any State or Territory.
The Sector contains the Service.
The Service comprises just over 52,000 of that more than 300,000 government employees.
Just 1 in 6 therefore of every Government employee.
Yet the Service is made up of over 300 specialist occupations delivering additional vital public services or employed to regulate laws passed by parliament to protect Victorians.
5 out of every 6 employees in the Public Service directly deliver these services in;
Agriculture, Arts, Auditor General, BigBuild, BDM, Building Authority, Corrections, Courts, Child Protection, Climate, Crime, Disability, Drivers (Ministerial), Emergency Management, Employment, Environment, Energy, Education, Family Violence, Fisheries, Forensic, Gaming, Government House, Housing, Health and Safety, IBAC, IT, Insurance, Indigenous Affairs, Land, Liqour, Legal Aid, Local Gov't, Major Events, Multicultural Affairs, Native Title, Nursing Advisers, Ombudsman, Parks, Parliament, Planners, Prosecutions, Police Custody, Public Health, Public Land Firefighters, Rangers, Records, SES, Sheriffs, State Revenue, Speed Camera Operators, School Service Officers, Student Support, Surveyor General, Tourism, Trade, Veterinary Services, Water, Wildlife, Youth Justice and our Zoos.
The Treasurer and Premier only ruled out cutting child protection which is just one of these public service occupations.
But what about our other 299?