BY BRYAN SKETCHLEY
BRISBANE — In 2002, the Queensland treasury announced plans to strip state government departments of corporate support staff and place them in five departments. These departments would then sell corporate support services back to the other departments.
Part of the plan was the standardisation of all corporate support computer systems and processes across all departments. The program is called ASAP (Aligning Services and People).
The price of this proposal? A steal at only 2000 jobs lost and massive savings from systems standardisation. It seems, though, that the only taker is the Queensland Labor government. There is almost universal disapproval of the proposals from those most likely to be affected.
Treasury officials were so confident of that their proposal would be accepted that they initially felt they did not have to provide any costing for it. When pressed, they replied that it would "save hundreds of millions" of dollars.
Information on how the proposal will work has been vague at best, and only provided to affected employees at a trickle. When the Queensland Public Sector Union (QPSU) called an information session to share what it had with its members, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said that any session held during work time would be considered strike action and anyone who attended would have their pay docked. The union called off the session.
In early November, lunchtime information sessions for union members were organised and were well attended. Unfortunately, the quality of information provided to the union by the treasury was poor and many public servants left not much better informed than when they had arrived. Since then, the QPSU has taken treasury to the arbitration commission to get it to release what information and costings it has.
It is unclear if the proposal will proceed in its current form. A further hearing is under way at the Industrial Relations Commission at the moment. However, a number of departments are making arrangements for the initial transfer of staff to the core service-providing departments on July 1. Cabinet has approved funding for more than 1000 voluntary early retirements in preparation for the scheme going ahead. This in addition to the 1000 voluntary early retirements that the government funded last year under the guise of getting rid of "bludgers".
Those affected by this proposal are administrative staff and others at the lower end of the pay scale. Treasury argues that services to the public won't be compromised and large savings for the taxpayer will be made. In its propaganda, treasury states that the proposed administrative support arrangements are common internationally.
The real reason for the wholesale attack on public service jobs has to do with the continuing poor credit rating the Queensland government has received from Standards and Poor's. S&P's latest report identifies key problems with the Queensland economy and its management. Beattie is keen to show international creditors and investors that he has their best interests at heart — and will throw 2000 public servants on the scrap heap to prove it.
[Bryan Sketchley is a member of the Socialist Alliance and of Workers Liberty.]
From Green Left Weekly, February 19, 2003.
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