Dozens of public servants were less than humoured when they were told their jobs would be lost in a cruel April Fools' Day prank. The Canberra based Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade workers were given an 'announcement' on a big TV screen that their workplace was being closed and moved to Melbourne. DFAT has since reprimanded the staff member responsible for the stunt, which saw 30 low-ranking employees told they needed to apply for expressions of interest if they wanted to keep their jobs by moving to Melbourne. The Canberra based Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade workers were met with this 'announcement' on a big TV screen . The message was displayed for five hours before one of the centre's supervisors told workers that it was an April Fools' Day prank. The workers had good cause to fear for their jobs: DFAT is planning to cut 500 jobs by June. The main role of the employees involved in the parnk is to ensure passport applicants meet the requirements in a process known as 'ELLO'. The announcement said the office was undergoing 'substantial' changes and would be moving all 'ELLO' roles to Melbourne as a result. It comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Tradeplans plans to cut 500 jobs by June this year . The Community and Public Sector Union's national secretary Nadine Flood said it was tasteless to joke about something perceived as a genuine fear, according to The Guardian. 'April Fool's jokes are supposed to be funny. There's nothing funny about fake job cuts when the Abbott government has cut 11,000 public service jobs for real in the last year,' she said.
The Canberra based DFAT workers got an 'announcement' on a screen .
The message said their office was being closed and moved to Melbourne .
The announcement was displayed for five hours before it was revealed .
It comes as the department plans to cut 500 jobs by June this year .