Hawke’s restructure plans face a hurdle

Press, 16 July 1987, Page 11

Hawke’s restructure plans face a hurdle

NZPA-AAP Canberra The plans of the Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, to restructure the Public Service already face a hurdle — opposition from the two largest public-service unions. The Australian Public Service Association (A.P.S.A.), which has about 28,000 members, said that the Government had not bothered to consult the unions about the proposed restructuring, which will involve job cuts of about 3000 by natural attrition and early retirement. The Administrative and Clerical Officers’ Association (A.C.0.A.) said the changes would be expensive and cause inefficiencies in services for the

puoiic. Mr Hawke announced the proposed changes in Canberra on Tuesday as part of a Government restructuring which included cutting the number of Commonwealth departments from 28 to 17 for greater efficiency and the introduction of senior and junior Ministers. While there will be 16 Cabinet Ministers, there will also be a further 14 “junior” non-Cabinet Ministers with responsibilities for specific parts of a Cabinet Minister’s portfolio.

Mr Hawke foresaw savings of sAust96 million in the first year and job losses of around 3000 — although no public servant would be retrenched. The Public Service

Board would be abolished and replaced with a smaller commission. Mr Hawke said he hoped public service unions would welcome the changes but neither the A.P.S.A. or the A.C.O.A. reacted positively.

The national executive of the A.C.O.A. said it would consider its formal response to the changes early next week and the A.P.S.A. said it would organise stop-work meetings to inform members of the changes and to consider possible industrial action once it had more details. The speed of the changes was necessary so caucus would know next Wednesday how many Ministerial places had to be filled.

There will now be at least six new faces, because three Ministers have retired and there are three extra places in the new system, making it easier for Mr Hawke to ease factional rivalry within the party. Mr Hawke did not announce Ministerial details, except to say that Ralph Willis would continue as Industrial Relations Minister and that he would welcome more women to join Senator Susan Ryan. Mr Willis is at present also Minister for Employment, but under the new arrangements he would relinquish that portfolio. Mr Willis would also chair a committee of Ministers with over-all responsibility for co-ordinating the changes, Mr Hawke said.