Key public workers undermined by poor management: survey

Workers at a key government agency are overworked and stressed — and they their bosses aren’t listening to them.

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STAFF at a key government department are overworked, underresourced and have little confidence in their senior management as their workplace becomes increasingly politicised, a union survey has found.

Just 17 per cent of Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment staff believed their expertise was being used to provide frank and fearless advice to government.

The Department’s staff made their feelings known in the survey carried out by the Community and Public Sector Union.

The survey revealed two-third of respondents were suffering under increased workloads, 28 per cent did not have the tools, equipment or technology to do their job and only 15 per cent felt job vacancies were filled in a timely fashion.

It resulted in high levels of stress and anxiety impacting on their work, health and home lives, the union’s Acting Secretary Thirza White said.

“Probably the most concerning result of the survey is this culture of politicisation in DPIPWE — 46 per cent of staff have said that they’ve felt morally compromised in what they have been asked to do or stopped from doing," she said.

“There are many, many comments about the fact that frank and fearless advice is a career-limiting move and only 17.5 per cent felt that their advice was actually acted upon.

“In other agencies, you might see pockets of this feeling, but you wouldn’t necessarily see that across a whole agency and I think it really speaks to the culture,” she said.

Ms White said DPIPWE was a critical agency of government — on the front lines of biosecurity in the fight against the pandemic and responsible for bushfire fighting across two-thirds of the state.

CPSU Organiser Lisa Ronneberg , Margaret Petrovic, Acting secretary Thirza and delegate Stewart Huxtable after speaking in Hobart on Wednersday, December 16, 2020. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.

“They’re at the forefront of climate change, they’re tasked with protecting the Tasmanian devil and the orange-bellied parrot, they’re going to be key to the recovery from COVID, getting industry back up and running and the tourism industry back up and running.”

She said it was essential that the department backed its workers and made sure they were adequately equipped to do their jobs.

Premier Peter Gutwein said he had not seen the survey.

“I do know that right across the public sector, our staff worked very, very hard this year and I’d like to thank them for that but I haven’t seen that survey and I am not in a position to comment about it,” he said.

“I can only add again that I am very thankful for public servants right across all agencies for the work they have done this year. It has been exceptional, I want to thank them for that and I want to wish them a very Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.”

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the results were not news to her.

“That’s completely unsurprising, DPIPWE — one of the most important land managers in Tasmania — has been politicised by the Liberals since day one,” she saiud.

“Parks has been undermined and now going from being the hero of our protected areas to being the villain because of the Liberals’ Expressions of Interest process and that’s having a huge effect on the morale of people inside parks.”

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