Victorian public‑service union declines to endorse Labor ahead of state election

The Victorian branch of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) announced it will not support the Labor Party in the upcoming state election, scheduled for 28 November. Union secretary Jiselle Hanna told Guardian Australia that the decision follows a series of reductions in the Victorian public service (VPS) and a substantial allocation of funds to external consultants.

According to the union, the Labor government has eliminated roughly 1,000 VPS positions, including more than 300 senior executive roles, and has merged several agencies after an independent review led by Helen Silver. The government claims the reforms have generated about $4 billion in savings, while asserting that frontline services have been spared.

Hanna said the cuts have continued beyond the Silver review, with over 200 additional restructures resulting in redundancies, job losses and pay reductions. She described the loss of job security in the public service as a shift toward “precarious employment” and warned that the reductions could increase reliance on consultants, which she termed “privatisation by stealth.”

The union also criticised the opposition’s proposal to impose an indefinite hiring freeze on back‑office public‑service roles, arguing that both parties overlook the broader functions performed by VPS staff, such as coordinating emergency responses, forensic analysis and curriculum development. While the CPSU accepts the need for budget savings, it maintains that further cuts to the public service are counter‑productive.

The CPSU’s stance adds to a growing list of unions that have either withdrawn support from or are actively campaigning against the incumbent government ahead of the November poll. The union’s decision is not expected to alter its formal affiliation status with Labor, but it signals heightened tension over public‑service reform in Victoria.