The 2019 State of the Service report shows the full extent of job cuts across the federal public service and rampant insecure work and labour hire. The report shows 3,158 jobs cut from the APS in the 2018/2019 financial year.
The union that represents people working in the public service, the CPSU says that this report shows the full extent of the dire cuts of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Governments over the past 7 years and the impact on services.
18,908 or 11.4% jobs have been cut since 2013 under successive Liberal Governments, causing enormous damage to the capacity of the Commonwealth to deliver policy and essential services that all Australians rely upon.
The CPSU says that the omission of any refence to the effect of the Coalition Government’s Average Staffing Level cap, efficiency dividend, or the increased use of short-term contractors and consultants on skills and capability was glaringly obvious.
As stated by Melissa Donnelly, National Secretary CPSU:
“The Morrison Government continues to rip jobs out of the Australian Public Service with no regard for the consequences. In the last year alone, they have slashed over $150 million from local economies around the nation.”
“This report confirms the increase in insecure work alongside jobs cuts. It’s no wonder that 60% of staff that experienced change in their workplace over the last 12 months, noted significant decrease in staffing numbers.”
“The Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government have cut over 11% of the total public service. With over 48 million unanswered calls to DHS in 2017/2018 and a further 5.3 million calls abandoned out of frustration, these are not the actions of a good government. We call on the Morrison Government to reverse the ASL cap to strengthen our public services.”
