The Victorian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union will not support Labor at the state election on 28 November, Guardian Australia reports, criticising the government for axing public sector roles at the same time as paying $1.2bn to consultants. The union is not formally affiliated with Labor but has worked closely with it before. Its secretary, Jiselle Hanna, said it could not back Premier Ben Carroll's government unless it ruled out further job cuts.
The government has reduced the Victorian public service, its largely administrative arm, by about 1,000 roles, including over 300 executive posts, after an independent review last year, and says the changes saved $4bn without affecting frontline jobs. The union says more than 200 restructures since then have led to redundancies and pay cuts. Several other unions have also declined to support Labor this time.
Source: The Guardian Australia