In short:
Tasmanian public service workers have left in tears after meetings where they were informed about job cuts, often without being given details, a union says.
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union → leave → details
The Community and Public Sector Union has accused the Tasmanian government of "drip feeding" information, "mishandling" the process, and causing added "uncertainty".
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Union → accuse → uncertainty
The minister responsible for the department involved says he has not seen the restructure plans.
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he → involve → plans
The state's public sector union has accused the Tasmanian government of "mishandling" the process to cut about 250 jobs, saying it's "without empathy" and leaving staff in tears.
"People are talking about this feeling like a massacre," Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) state secretary Thirza White said, calling Tuesday a "brutal day".
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White → accuse → Tuesday
Ms White said staff in Building Tasmania and the Department of Premier and Cabinet had been called into meetings with as little as 20 minutes' notice, and informed about job cuts in their teams.
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staff → say → teams
"Some people walked in and were shown an organisational chart where their role wasn't on that …
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role → walk → that
what we hear from others is that they're walking in and the team is six, and now the team is three," she said.
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she → hear → others
"What we have is a government and agencies that are drip-feeding information and what workers deserve and need is clarity around what the new structure is.
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structure → feed → what
The government is expected to release, on Wednesday afternoon, more detailed plans for the restructure, which has seen State Growth renamed Building Tasmania and slimmed its focus to infrastructure.
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Growth → expect → infrastructure
As pat of the process, many of its former functions have been transferred to the Department of Premier and Cabinet.
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many → transfer → Premier
One hundred and eleven workers had already accepted voluntary redundancies, but staff were informed on Monday that another 150 jobs would be axed.
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jobs → accept → Monday
The workers will be offered voluntary redundancies or placed on the redeployment list, which could see them take another job or be let go after six months.
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them → offer → months
Ms White said the CPSU was expecting to receive organisational charts, and a list of required roles on Wednesday afternoon.
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CPSU → say → afternoon
Minister yet to sight restructure plans
Asked what details would be made public on Wednesday morning, the minister responsible for Building Tasmania Kerry Vincent said he had not yet seen the documents.
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he → sight → documents
He said it would include "some of the finer details".
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it → say → details
We, as always, are keen to work through with everybody involved to make sure that we are driving efficiencies through the public service."
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driving → work → service
Pressed on what exactly the finer details were, he said "the finer details are always on how things can operate efficiently for the benefit of Tasmanian taxpayers and that's what we're trying to do".
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we → press → what
Mr Vincent pushed back on the suggestion the government had mishandled the process.
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government → push → process
"I feel for everybody in the system because change is always difficult for some to adjust to," he said.
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he → feel → system
"But I ask everybody to keep an open mind to what we are trying to achieve here and work through it with us."
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we → ask → us
Greens call for other measures, including axing stadium
The state budget outlines job cuts across the public service to help balance spending and revenue, targeting 1,700 by 2030, and another 100 by 2032.
Treasurer Eric Abetz has repeatedly said that cutting expenditure is his preferred method for budget repair.
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cutting → call → repair
His May state budget included $1.5 billion in "operational efficiencies" over the next four years, with departments required to find the savings through slashing jobs or services.
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departments → include → jobs
Acting Greens Leader Vica Bayley called on the government to look at other measures, including raising new revenue and abandoning the Hobart stadium project at Macquarie Point.
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Bayley → act → Point
"Salmon farming corporations, mining companies, property developers and the gambling industry are all getting an easy ride while public services and the Tasmanians who rely on them are paying the price," he said.
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he → get → price
"Continuing with the [Macquarie Point] stadium while slashing public service jobs is just cold-hearted."
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Continuing → continue → jobs
The Aporia