$400K government-wide analysis to gauge mood of public service THE Newman Government is paying a Victorian-based company almost $400,000 to gauge the mood of the public service. ORC International is conducting the survey of 230,000 government workers, the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Queensland. Under the terms of the contract, the company will be paid a fixed amount of $369,288 plus an extra $30,000 if at least 5000 surveys are returned. A Public Service Commission spokeswoman said the survey ``explored various aspects of workplace climate including employee engagement, job satisfaction and leadership. ``The data will be used to develop strategies to improve the capability and performance of the Queensland public service," she said. ``Our survey results will be compared with similar surveys in other jurisdictions. But Together Queensland assistant secretary Julie Bignell said there was a lot of concern among public servants about participating because they did not know where their details would go. ``It's being conducted electronically so people will be identifiable. Who's going to feel like participating?" said Ms Bignell. She said many public servants were still reeling from the 14,000 job cuts throughout the government workforce and the loss of job security. "We got all of those commitments out of the LNP before they were elected, then they went and systematically broke all of them in a contentious way, putting legislation through Parliament late at night without consultation," Ms Bignell said. ``The trust is not there." The survey coincides with the ongoing battle by the public sector union to secure an interim pay rise for the ``core" public service of 2.35 per cent, dating back to the start of the year. The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission yesterday heard an appeal by Together against an earlier decision by the full bench, finding the tribunal did not have the jurisdiction to grant the increase. Ken McKay for Together argued the full bench displayed apprehended bias in forming its decision and played a lengthy excerpt from the March 13 hearing for QIRC president, David Hall. In the recording vice-president Dianne Linnane verbally jousted with Mr McKay, telling him ``you've got to be joking" as he set out his case for an interim pay rise. ``Good luck to you from my perspective," said vice-president Linnane. ``There should be no interim increase. Mr Hall is expected to publish his decision in the next week. The State Government does not support an interim increase because the public servants' pay rise is being arbitrated.