Campaigns

Campaigns are the lifeblood of our union. From enterprise bargaining to specific workplace issues campaigns are about members influencing and improving their workplaces.

CPSU is always campaigning for better working conditions and entitlements. These campaigns range from regular enterprise bargaining campaigns to improve existing conditions of employment, to campaigns against changes occuring in workplaces that may reduce the conditions for CPSU members.

  • Want help to run a campaign?
  • Recruit your colleagues?
  • Be part of the log of claims negotiating team?
  • Is there an issue affecting more than one person at your workplace?
  • or do you think there is a training need that can be provided by the Union?

CPSU has a team which is there for you with the resources and experience to help you put colour into campaign/recruitment efforts.

Call the union and speak with their Membership Development Team Organiser.

Current Campaigns

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(De) Structure of Fisheries Officers

VFA Final (De)Structure Announced

There have been different figures (depending on the spin) put out there but here's the final (de)structure;

The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) announced their final structure to staff on 20 May 2025.  Here’s what that (de)structure looks like for fisheries enforcement in Victoria:

  • Mornington, Cowes and Queenscliff fisheries stations will be cut to 4 Fisheries Officers each; reducing overall staffing of these locations from 19 Fisheries officers to 12.
  • Altona North and Braeside fisheries stations will be closed; a loss of 11 Fisheries Officers.
  • All current Fisheries Officer vacancies in the state will be abolished; a loss of 16 Fisheries Officers.
  • Swan Hill, Bendigo, Wodonga, and Tatura fisheries stations will be reduced to 1 Fisheries Officer each.
  • Portland, Mallacoota, and Lakes Entrance fisheries stations will be reduced to 2 Fisheries Officers each.
  • Regional Managers will be abolished; a loss of 4 critical enforcement management personnel. 4 Supervising Fisheries Officers across the state will be expected to take on the workload of these cut positions on top of their current duties.
  • The Fisheries Officer title will remain, but the following key responsibilities will be removed from the position:

o Fulfilling the role of Case Officer for Operations

o Preparing affidavits and executing search warrants

o Conducting mention court prosecutions and providing evidence in court

o Conducting surveillance, land and vessel-based inspections, investigations, operations and legal proceedings

o Participating in state-wide emergency response activities and response to aquatic emergencies

o NC1 Coxswain certificate (the ability to operate vessels)

  • Key selection criteria for the Fisheries Officer role will no longer include ‘Operational Leadership & Effectiveness’ or ‘Decisiveness’.
  • Advantageous qualifications for the Fisheries Officer role now also include: ‘marketing, media, communications, public relations, arts, and humanities’.
  • The Statewide Investigations Group will be renamed the ‘Major Crime Unit’ and will be reduced from 6 Fisheries Investigators to 4; a loss of 2 Fisheries Investigators.


What does this mean for fisheries enforcement in Victoria going forward?

  • Fisheries Officers covering Port Phillip Bay and Western Port will be reduced from 30 to 12; a reduction of 60%.
  • The total number of Fisheries Officers in Victoria will be reduced from 69 to 39; a reduction of 44% statewide.
  • Fisheries Officers in 1-person and 2-person stations will be expected to work on their own, with the following criteria applying to that 1-up work:

o Must have at least 2 years of operational experience

o Must stay within mobile phone service for the entirety of the patrol

o Cannot conduct covert inspections

o Cannot work at night

o Must have access to back-up support within a reasonable timeframe

o Cannot work in remote locations away from population centres

o Cannot conduct enforcement activity in response to high-level offending

  • There will be only 16 Fisheries Stations in the state; 4 of these will be 1-person stations, and 6 will be 2-person stations. Therefore, only 6 stations will have more than 2 staff.
  • The Fisheries Officer role has been redefined in responsibilities to shift from enforcement to education. Fisheries Officers will no longer have the responsibilities outlined that support enforcement activity and will no longer have the capability to conduct effective fisheries enforcement.
  • The Fisheries Officer role will no longer include the requirement to operate vessels, eliminating a core capability that allows enforcement to occur on the water and leaving Marine Parks completely unprotected.
  • The entire northern section of Port Phillip Bay will be completely unprotected. There will not be a Fisheries Station within at least a 1.5hours drive of the busiest and most non-compliant fishing areas in the state.
  • The new Major Crimes Unit will not have the capacity to investigate organised fisheries crime with a 33% reduction in the size of the unit.
  • Fisheries Investigators do not conduct general enforcement activities; therefore, most offending, will go undetected and will not have any consequences.


The bottom line:  Fisheries Officers, as we know them, will no longer exist in the state of Victoria. Our fisheries will be left completely unprotected, unlawful poaching activity will skyrocket, and all our Fisheries Officers will be able to do is try to ‘educate’ offenders.

The VFA has been understaffed for some time, with vacancies being held over multiple years, particularly fisheries officer vacancies.

CPSU has sought to raise concerns around long-term vacancies with the Minister for Environment for the last 12 months yet had not had any traction in this area.

The information around the re-structure being put forward to the public by the VFA does not accurately portray the real number of job losses, only disclosing the number of ‘filled positions’ being lost, not accounting for the vacant (unfilled) positions that are also being abolished.

The below table outlines the true and correct figures for total position losses across the VFA as a result of this restructure.


Fisheries Officers to be ABOLISHED in Victoria

The CEO of the Victorian Fisheries Authority has proposed devastating changes that could lead to the destruction of Victoria's fragile aquatic environment and leave the State's fishing resource without protection.

Proposed Changes:

  • No more Fisheries Officers in the State of Victoria
  • All 73 Fisheries Officer positions in Victoria are to be removed and replaced by 36 'Engagement' Officers, focussed predominantly on community education
  • All 5 Fisheries Stations around greater Melbourne will close.
  • Just 9 "Engagement" staff will cover the entire greater Melbourne Area from Venus Bay to Anglesea.

What can you do to help?

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Stand Up 4 Our Services

When public service jobs are under attack, we stand up and fight back!

Victorian public servants keep the state running.

Every VPS job contributes to the delivery of government services at the standard and level that Victorians need and expect.

CPSU will rigorously defend every job and we want to send a message to the government that we will not back down without a fight!

We thank everyone who joined our Save Our Services Rally on Monday 3 March and made their voice heard.

Now is the time to stand up for ourselves and fight back!

What can you do?

  • Write to your state MP and demand that they stand up for our services too
  • Wear our Stand Up 4 Our Services badge, display a sticker or a poster in your workplace (pick up from CPSU in Melbourne CBD or request some to be sent via post)
  • Keep an eye on this page for the latest updates and info on how to take action
  • Join CPSU if you haven't already. This is the best way to protect yourself.
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Proud to be Public

Bashing the public service seems to be a national sport - played by the media, the public and politicians alike.

CPSU is fighting back, because we know and understand that any decent society relies on an independent, effective and well-resourced public sector; and we know that our members provide exactly that.

Past Campaigns

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VPS 2024

Improving the resources available to build better public services like pay, access to leave, career opportunities and allowances are all spelled out in our Victorian Public Service Agreement negotiated between CPSU and the Vic Government.

Negotiations for our next agreement are underway now and former Fair Work Commissioner Julius Roe has been brought in as an independent facilitator to assist the parties.

Get on board with CPSU and have your voice heard and your views represented.

View the campaign

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Restorative Engagement and Redress Scheme

Any former or current Victoria Police employee, including VPS staff, who have experienced sexual harassment or sex discrimination in the workplace can now apply to the new Restorative Engagement and Redress Scheme.

The Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville announced today the start of the new scheme, which is administered by the Department of Justice and Community Safety, independently of Victoria Police.


View the campaign

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Workers for Myanmar

Trade unionists and supporters from around the world are joining the Global Noise Barrage making some noise in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

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Worth 100%

The gender pay gap in the Victorian Public Service is currently 12%.

We think women should be paid the same as men. We think women should be offered the same opportunities as men. We think it's time to close the gap.

There are a number of ways you can get active in your workplace to help close the gap.

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Sign Up a Sister

To mark International Women's Day on March 8 2021, we're running our Sign Up A Sister initiative to grow our CPSU sisterhood.

Having a strong female union membership is vital to progress important issues like closing the gender pay gap, eradicating gender based workplace violence, and protecting paid parental leave rights.

From now until the end of March, if you sign up a sister to CPSU you will go into the running to win two nights at Mount Olive in Daylesford, and the member you sign up will win the same!

Simply mark membership form with 'IWD21' and your name under the Campaign Code or referral section. So why not have a chat to the women in your workplace about the benefits of union membership.

The winner will be announced on CPSU Vic’s website on Wednesday 7 April 2021.

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VPS Enterprise Agreement 2020

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Vote Like Your Job Depends on It

Every election the Victorian Liberal Party promises not to cut public sector jobs.

Then they do. Every single time. Help save public sector jobs this election.
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The Real Cost

The Victorian Government has announced its intention to privatise Victoria's Land Titles Office. For 155 years, the Land Titles Office has tirelessly scrutinised every survey, mortgage and transaction on Victoria's four million-odd properties, perfecting this priceless public asset.

Selling the titles office will see annual revenue of up to $300 million stripped from funding other public services like hospitals, roads, and schools, and will also lead to increased costs for Victorians.