Changes to Queensland public service employment 1980-95: A union's portrayal of its response

There was turbulent change in the Queensland public service from 1980-1995. The traditional career service model of employment decayed in the 1980s, under a Conservative Government that attacked unions and faced increasing revelations of politicisation and corruption. The new Labor Government of 1989 promised to restore the career service under a Westminster system, but simultaneously implemented rapid public sector reforms, which had both positive and negative effect son the career service model. The major public service union struggled to defend the career service throughout most of this period. As its traditional strategies became less effective, it responded with new strategies. It strengthened relationships with other unions, and urged membership involvement. It discarded its traditional non-partisan stance, to take an active role in the 1989 state election, and continued this partisan stance at subsequent elections, in support of Labor in 1992 and in support of the Conservative Government in 1995. However, by 1995, the union's persistence in defending the career service conventions appeared to fade.