Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) members protested on 4 February against the proposed privatisation of disability services by the Victorian Labor government. The government’s announcement that public disability services will be put out to tender is a complete reversal of its pre-election position. Then, Daniel Andrews personally assured public sector workers and their union that the state’s disability sector was “not for sale”.

“It’s to save money”, a member of the union told Red Flag. “It’s transferring from a service run in the public interest to being a service run for profit by a private organisation.”

According to HACSU, more than 5,000 workers will be affected by the plan. They will have no say over the operators that take over the services they work in and will likely be presented with take it or leave it wage and conditions cuts by the new non-government contractors.

Norelle, who works in an accommodation facility, said that running these services for profit will result in major upheavals for employees. “They’ll scrape every dollar of it, cut wages, cut hours worked, cut it down to bare minimum”, she said.

Another worker told Red Flag that during the transition employees’ accrued entitlements, including sick leave, will be at risk. “I’ve got over a thousand hours, and I’d have to start from scratch again.”

Privatisation will also mean lower quality and less continuity of service for Victorians with disabilities. “There’s less security. You’ll have a casual work base that comes in rather than permanent staff that understand people’s needs”, said Norelle.

Those with more complex needs already regularly find themselves knocked back by private services, for which it is not profitable to provide the necessary level of care.

Similar changes are taking place in New South Wales and Western Australia, where, as in Victoria, the sell-offs are pitched as being part of the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Full implementation of the NDIS will begin in July, and the pace of privatisation is expected to increase, shaking the foundations of the disability sector nationwide.

HACSU and the Public Service Association in NSW have so far organised a number of rallies against the plans, and workers in Newcastle stopped work for four hours in November. With both the Liberal and Labor parties appearing set on privatisation of the sector, this type of resistance will become increasingly necessary.