The state government announced on 20 February 2025 they’ll be reviewing the public service with the intention to cut about 3,000 jobs. Put simply job cuts equal service cuts. 3,000 jobs cut means 3,000 jobs don’t get done.

The announcement today has a lot of unanswered questions for us – about the job cuts, how soon, where they will be, so we’re looking forward to getting some answers from the government soon. Even the government admits “some” public facing services will be cut and they need to open with not just the workers but the community that rely on those services.

We understand that the Government wants to bring down their wages bill, but they’re also saying they don’t want any services to be impacted, and they have drawn a distinction between "front line" workers and other public sector workers. It’s cute politics, but this distinction is misleading about what the public service actually does.

A public sector that consisted entirely of nurses, teachers and firefighters would not function efficiently – all those workers rely on people who are doing work behind the scenes to get them resources, coordinate their work, and support Victorians.

VTHC Assistant Secretary Danae Bosler spoke to 7 News.

"You need people who respond to crises but you also need people who plan for the future."

"The Government keeps announcing these great policies like cheaper solar and free kinder and container deposits and housing projects, but announcing them doesn’t actually make them happen. You need someone to actually do the work of setting those projects up and keeping them running." 

"I can tell you – if you’re going to cut a bunch of jobs that work is no longer going to get done – you have to decide what services you are no longer going to provide."

"Seems it’s fashionable around the world right now to cut public services and Trump is learning the hard way that if you cut thousands of public sector jobs, that has consequences. The work of government just doesn’t get done. Services don’t get delivered."

"Victoria is growing and Victorians rely on these services, especially in a cost of living crisis."

"Public sector workers themselves have been saying for years that there is unnecessary duplication of systems, there is redundancy – we hope through this process workers will be able to contribute their ideas."