Proud to be Public

Protected industrial action will continue for Arts Centre Melbourne workers this week, as they prepare for another 24-hour strike on Friday.The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) said it was disappointing that management chose to cancel shows and inconvenience performers and audiences, instead of paying their staff properly. The strike will impact several performances on Friday evening.Workers are fighting for a 7 per cent pay rise, with wages at the Arts Centre falling 10 per cent ... -->

The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) congratulates staff at Parks Victoria who have reached in-principal agreement, after fighting for better pay and conditions for more than 12 months.  Parks Vic workers have been taking industrial action since May this year, which has included 24-hour strikes, closures of parks, and bans on administrative tasks.The offer accepted by Parks Vic workers includes a 3 per cent pay rise, a $5000 once off payment, and a structural wages uplift that will boo ... -->

Arts Centre workers will walk off the job for 24 hours on Friday as part of ongoing protected industrial action – disrupting a range of live performances.The strike coincides with a performance by Grammy-award winner Macy Gray on Friday evening at Hamer Hall, along with GRIMM at Fairfax Studio and Burn the Floor: Luminous at the Playhouse. Hundreds of workers will join the strike action after recently rejecting a below inflation pay offer of 3 per cent. Wages at the Arts Centre have fa ... -->

Today the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) released a report on the challenges of working in the adult corrections system.Code Blue – the reality of working in Victoria's prisons was informed by the lived experience of hundreds of correctional staff across the state via an in-depth survey.The report identifies confronting statistics around occupational violence, chronic understaffing and the mental health and wellbeing of prison officers.The report shows the main workplace risks that s ... -->

CPSU Victoria understands what the Victorian Government is trying to achieve through the Associations Incorporation Reform Amendment Bill 2026 and why parts of the union movement might welcome legislation that makes it harder for these organisations to operate. So-called “Red Unions” are a genuine problem. The CPSU Vic knows this first-hand. They present themselves to workers as unions while promoting a model of individual representation that is fundamentally at odds with collective trade u ... -->

Arts Centre Melbourne workers will take protected industrial action this month as enterprise bargaining negotiations stall over poor pay offers.The protected action comes after months of bargaining, with workers rejecting a pay offer of 3 per cent, which is a wage cut in real terms.Industrial action may include performances being interrupted or stalled, work stoppages spanning from 10 minutes to 24 hours, and bans on working overtime.The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) said the o ... -->

The fight to save VicHealth reaches a critical moment today, with Parliament set to debate the State Government's controversial plan to abolish the health promotion agency.The Community and Public Sector Union, along with VicHealth supporters from all ends of the political spectrum, will gather on the steps of Parliament during the debate to celebrate the incredible work of the agency over the last 40 years.The government announced its plans to abolish VicHealth in December last year as part of ... -->

The challenges facing public servants will not disappear with a change in leadership.This government has already cut thousands of public sector jobs over recent years.Those cuts have reduced the capacity of the public service and placed increasing pressure on the workers who deliver essential services. The Liberal Party has also committed to further cuts, which would only make the situation worse.A change in the Victorian Labor Party's leadership does not change our focus. Our job is to de ... -->

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.Each NAIDOC Week holds its own significance, but 2025 stands out as a landmark year - celebrating half a ... -->

Today marks a major milestone with the commencement of prisoner intake at Western Plains Correctional Centre. CPSU proudly congratulates all members involved in bringing this new site online — your hard work, professionalism, and solidarity have made this moment possible.This is the beginning of a significant new chapter for Victoria’s corrections system. CPSU recognises the commitment and resilience shown by our members on the ground at Western Plains, who have worked tirelessly through p ... -->

For most of the 20th century the Public Service Union in Victoria has fought to obtain a satisfactory, independent industrial tribunal, independent of our employer, and this story provides a focus for our history as much today as it did then.A thousand public servants crammed into the Athenaeum Hall in Collins Street, Melbourne after work on June 17, 1885, to form the union which, it was hoped, "would benefit all and abolish grievances".  The union already had 1900 members prior to this first g ... -->

A huge shout out to all our members employed right across the multitude of Education Department agencies that keep school services running in Victoria, as well as to all our specialist School Support Services Officers (SSSOs) and the Ed Support Officers in schools.PROUD TO BE PUBLIC ... -->

Saturday's Convoy for Conservation was another huge step forward in our campaign to save our fish and it was inspiring to see so many people spend their day advocating for our Fisheries Officers and the bigger picture being to raise awareness of the ludicrous VFA restructure, which proposes axing all Fisheries Officers around Port Phillip and Westernport bay. Stay ConnectedLike and follow Protect Victorian Fisheries Tourism to connect with fellow convoyers and stay updated on our latest initiati ... -->

Melbourne City Parking Survey – Have Your Say!Proposed changes from May 2025Dear Members,The City of Melbourne is again reviewing metered parking conditions on Sundays.  This may have a direct impact on your access to on-street parking near your Prison (MAP). We strongly encourage all members to complete the West Melbourne proposed changes survey, as only those who use these parking spaces can provide the necessary feedback to influence the outcome.This follows our previous submission advocat ... -->

Union members from Grades 5-7 at the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions reported that they were being denied progression, because they had either not "exceeded expectations" or because their agreed goals were insufficiently difficult.CPSU raised this with DJSIR, making clear that under our VPS Enterprise Agreement:The goals set by the employee and their manager are the agreed Progression Criteria which must be assessed;If the Employee is eligible for Progression and has met their P ... -->

We've Kept Births, Deaths and Marriages 100% in public hands.Plan Hatched but Now Dispatched"An early plan to give private investors access to parts of Victoria’s births, deaths and marriages registry has been abandoned by the state government after backlash from a key union and grassroots Labor members." AGE 13/9/2024BDM has been recording significant life events since 1853.More than 400 Victorians each day last month interacted with BDM and that was just for certificate registration and does ... -->

Plan Hatched but Now Dispatched"An early plan to give private investors access to parts of Victoria’s births, deaths and marriages registry has been abandoned by the state government after backlash from a key union and grassroots Labor members." AGE 13/9/2024BDM has been recording significant life events since 1853.More than 400 Victorians each day last month interacted with BDM and that was just for certificate registration and doesn’t include the change of identity or sex, family history, ... -->

Plan Hatched but Now Dispatched"An early plan to give private investors access to parts of Victoria’s births, deaths and marriages registry has been abandoned by the state government after backlash from a key union and grassroots Labor members." AGE 13/9/2024BDM has been recording significant life events since 1853.More than 400 Victorians each day last month interacted with BDM and that was just for certificate registration and doesn’t include the change of identity or sex, fa ... -->