200 more Sunshine Coast jobs could be lost, union warns
_fct765x471x254x64_t460.jpg "Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said he would not seek a mandate to sell-off the state's major assets at the next election.")
ANOTHER 200 State Government workers on the Sunshine Coast will lose their jobs, one of the state's largest unions has warned.
The Together Union says about 800 jobs have already been axed on the Coast under the Newman government's push to reduce its workforce but union officials believe more job losses are to come as departments finalise their numbers.
Uncertainty also remains over additional job losses from the ranks of police and health workers.
Together Union secretary Alex Scott said a total loss of 1000 jobs on the Coast was a considerable chunk of the 10,000 permanent staff and 4000 temporary workers being cut from the public service state-wide.
The LNP government has argued it was trying to fix the financial mess left by the previous Labor government but Mr Scott said job losses were being carried out according to statistics and failing to take into account the considerable human cost.
"I think the regions are getting cut more than the numbers in Brisbane," Mr Scott said.
"They talked about protecting regional jobs and services, but we think they are sacrificing regional jobs; we think the coasts are easy targets."
The issues surrounding the public service job losses are being investigated in an inquiry being conducted by the Australian Senate's Education, Employment and Workplace Relations committee.
It is seeking public submissions until February 15.
Mr Scott is urging anyone who has been impacted personally by the job cuts to make a submission.
"The federal Senate inquiry will enable Queenslanders to tell politicians about what the Campbell Newman Government's mass sackings have meant to local communities and families," he said. "Putting stories of real heartbreak, loss and ongoing pain on the federal agenda is the first step to ensuring there is federal action to bring back protection for rights at work.
"Unless regional Queenslanders make submissions to this inquiry it will be easy for the true picture and real impact of these services cuts in regional Queensland to be ignored."
