By Daniel Hurst
“Our jobs aren't 'de-necessary'” was the catchcry as the Queensland public sector union mercilessly campaigned against the Liberal National Party at the last state election.
But nearly three years on and with the next election lurking just around the corner, the union appears to have de-activated its rivalry with the conservative side of politics.
A union protest against Lawrence Springborg's threatened cuts to the public service during the 2009 state election campaign.Credit: Tony Moore
Alex Scott, who heads the Together union (previously known as the Queensland Public Sector Union), yesterday heaped praise on LNP leader Campbell Newman for vowing to maintain the state's independent industrial umpire.
And he had only criticism for the Bligh Government, which his union helped re-elect by mounting a campaign against then LNP leader Lawrence Springborg's $1 billion a year efficiency dividend on the basis it could lead to thousands of public sector job losses.
“Three years ago, this government was re-elected on the basis of jobs, jobs, jobs,” Mr Scott said.
“Now we're seeing they're about job cuts, job cuts, job cuts.”
The barb was a reference to the government's plans to farewell 3500 public servants through a voluntary separation program, including some 1000 Queensland Health employees deemed to be non-frontline workers.
It was a program that Mr Scott's own union welcomed as a “win” in April when details of the generous payouts became public but has backed away from as details emerged about specific jobs in the firing line.
So how did it come to this? And will the public sector union be backing the LNP instead of Labor at the next election, due early next year?
Mr Scott said he had no regrets about the campaign the union mounted against the LNP at the last election, because the efficiency dividend would have cost thousands of jobs. (The campaign slogan was a reference to Mr Springborg's unfortunate remark that some public sector jobs were "de-necessary".)
But Mr Scott admitted he did have misgivings about the union's failure to engage with political parties early enough in the lead up to the 2009 poll.
“The lesson we took out of the last election [was] clearly we have the capacity to campaign, but I think the mistake we made was not to engage with the political parties before the policies were announced,” Mr Scott told brisbanetimes.com.au last night.
Because we hadn't engaged early enough we were in the position of just trying to throw rocks from the outside.
“Because we hadn't engaged early enough we were in the position of just trying to throw rocks from the outside.”
Mr Scott now hopes by talking to parties, including the LNP, it will result in policies that public sector workers are much more comfortable with.
He said Mr Newman's statement to brisbanetimes.com.au on Monday that the LNP would not change the role of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission – in contrast to the Coalition NSW government, which gutted the independent umpire in that state – showed a willingness to hear the union out.
“We've met with Campbell a few times but we've also been meeting with other [LNP] politicians and some of their staff,” he said.
“Certainly with Campbell there is a willingness to listen which we think is refreshing in politics".
Mr Scott, who quit the Labor party in June citing disillusionment, said it was wrong to assume Together would fall in behind Labor when it was crunch time.
He said his relationship with Labor party MPs was “strained at best”, given the union's battle over health support worker pay and recent criticism over the planned job cuts in the police service and Queensland Health.
“One of the things we're certainly driving is that we have permanent issues but not permanent friends,” he said.
“We're certainly going to be judging all of the political parties based on their track records as well as their policies.”
The union's executive will today consider key issues in the lead-up to the state election and will kick-start a consultation process with its membership. Final positions will be adopted at a state council meeting in late November.
Mr Scott said public servants would discuss the future of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation and whether the LNP's plan to re-establish a standalone primary industries department had merit. They would also talk about whether Child Safety should have its own department.
Broad issues – including wages, the future of the industrial relations commission, and the role of public sector commission – would also be key election issues for public servants.
Mr Scott said he realised there were likely to be reductions to the size of the public service given the dire state of the state budget, so it was best to work with the parties rather than throw stones.
“No matter who wins there's going to be questions around the state budget and we're happy to work through the budgetary issues and our needs regarding service delivery,” he said.
Despite the change of approach, one thing won't change – the union will argue extensive job cuts are "de-necessary".
dhurst@brisbanetimes.com.au
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