Unions Tasmania boss Jess Munday warns no industrial action off table in battle to prevent GBE sell-off

Tasmanian unions have refused to rule out industrial action to stop a Rockliff government plan to sell off state-owned businesses, which they warn would result in thousands of job losses.

Jessica Munday from Unions Tasmania.

Tasmanian unions have refused to rule out eventual industrial action to stop a Rockliff government plan to sell off state-owned businesses – including electricity distributor TasNetworks and public transport operator Metro – which they warn would result in thousands of job losses.

Launching Unions Tasmania’s official campaign against the privatisation agenda flagged by Premier Jeremy Rockliff in his State of the State address earlier this month, Secretary Jessica Munday described the Liberal government’s plan as an “extraordinary attack” on public assets.

With the government struggling with mounting debt after repeated blowout deficit budgets, Mr Rockliff has also flagged cutting staffing levels in the public service by around six per cent to help manage costs.

Union representatives begin their campaign against the Tasmanian government's GBE sell-off agenda.

“The Liberals have a plan to sell everything from the buses at Metro to the poles and wires owned by TasNetworks on the private market,” Ms Munday said on Thursday.

“On top of this, they’ve put up to 2500 Tasmanian public sector workers in the firing line, refusing to say who will still have a job and who will get the sack.

“Tasmanians know that privatisation doesn’t work, and that our public services are already stretched to the limit.

“Now is the time for us to send a strong message to the Liberal government – you have no mandate for these privatisations and these cuts, and you must back down.”

Tasmania has six government business enterprises and eight state-owned companies, including Sustainable Timber Tasmania, Aurora Energy, TasNetworks, and TasPorts.

With the Premier indicating that only Hydro Tasmania was safe from potential sell-off, Ms Munday said job quality, wages, and security of employment were all on the line for the workers under the government’s plan.

Unions Tasmania state secretary Jessica Mundy and CEPU state secretary Chris Clark are concerned about the proposed GBE privatisation. Picture: Linda Higginson

“We know that there was very strong community opposition, but the government ignored this and are pushing ahead regardless,” she said.

“We have created a campaign that is specifically aimed at Liberal Party leaders within the cabinet and the government to get them to back down.

“That is our ultimate aim.”

In his address to parliament on 4 March, Mr Rockliff said the question of whether government ownership was in the interests of the Tasmanian community was one that deserved further consideration.

“That’s why we will be carrying out a detailed assessment of the benefits of moving several entities out of government ownership,” the Premier said.