Thousands of public servants are at risk of losing their jobs on 24 February 2015 under new rules that prevent temporary workers from working with the same government agency for more than four years, according to public sector union the Public Service Association (PSA), reports The Sydney Morning Herald. 

The union raised concerns about the new rules on Tuesday at a joint parliamentary committee hearing. A government spokesman said the claims by the union were a part of a Labour Party and union scare campaign and that public sector agencies were involved in active negotiations with unions and employees regarding the status of every employee with a view to making more of them permanent.

PSA Assistant General Secretary Steve Turner said there are currently 43,976 temporary workers in the public sector. Of those full-time equivalents, up to a half have been working for more than four years. Those unable to secure full-time employment or a job with another agency would be at risk of losing their job. 

He said: "We think it could affect up to 7,000 full-time equivalent positions, which could mean thousands more of actual people affected. All of those people are in an insecure work environment at the moment. We know agencies, like community services, have thousands of temporary employees. What will happen to children at risk in this state if those employees are terminated?"

The PSA has written to the Public Service Commissioner to raise concerns about temporary workers who will be affected on 24 February by the state government's new rules. 

A spokeswoman for the Public Service Commission said the new Government Sector Employment Act to commence in February next year included new arrangements to allow agencies to manage long-term temporary employment arrangements "in line with business needs and fair recruitment processes".

She said: “[Agencies will be given extra time to] consider whether to recruit appropriately where there is a continuing need for temporary employment, convert existing temporary staff to ongoing employment, or review the business need for the roles.”  

Labour MP and Opposition spokesman for Industrial Relations, Adam Searle, said the committee hearing revealed thousands of temporary workers faced having their employment terminated unless government agencies makes them permanent or they find a another job.

"This situation is made possible by the Baird government's new government sector employment laws, which place a cap of five years on how long workers can be temporary employees, which cannot be extended," he said.

Greens MP and Industrial Relations spokesman, David Shoebridge, said the government should put the new rules on hold: "Thousands of public servants will be having a very insecure end of year, uncertain if their employment will be extended beyond February next year.”