Women's Equity cuts disgrace

Date: 30 May 2000

Two major progressive parts of the NSW Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) are going to be cut by half - the Women's Equity Bureau and the DIR Policy Branch have been cut in the last NSW State Budget.

Quietly, and buried in the big picture announcements, the NSW Treasury has directed major cuts to these two areas. Treasury has also told the DIR to cost a plan to privatise the Award Enquiry Service.

Up to now, NSW has had a "model" progressive Industrial Relations policy, backed up by a commitment to impartial Government supplied information to workers on their rights and entitlements, through the DIR Award Enquiry Service (AES).

The Public Service Association (PSA), the union covering the DIR workers, says it was shocked at the cuts.

The PSA General Secretary, Maurie O'Sullivan, said "What sort of message does this send to Labor's supporters? To women, and ordinary workers who use the Award Enquiry Service? Who's going to do this work? Who will make a profit from the information?

"Thirty of the most important people in the Department are now going to be cut. The remaining five are going to be hidden away where they will have no impact on the Industrial Relations policy of the Government."

The PSA Annual Conference, the union-wide forum, last week condemned the cut and promised to fight the changes.

Mr O'Sullivan said, "The Women's Equity Bureau (WEB) was hailed as a progressive step by putting women's equity rights in the heart of the Industrial Relations agenda of the NSW Government. Now they, and the staff that support them, have been singled-out for cuts like no other part of the DIR.

"This is urgent. They will go in one month unless the Government can be made to see sense."

The PSA plans to campaign among women's groups and NSW unions to gain support for the WEB and to stop the privatisation of the Award Enquiry Service.

For further information

Contact:	David Carey
Union:	Public Service Association of NSW
Phone:	9220 0983
Email:	dcarey@psa.asn.au
WWW:	http://psa.labor.net.au/

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