Staff have been warned against wearing apparel with pro-Palestine symbols as part of a new dress code.
State Library of Victoria employees have been warned against wearing any materials that “support or promote a particular political viewpoint”, including items featuring the Aboriginal flag, following a widespread staff revolt over the library’s treatment of pro-Palestine writers.
It’s also resulted in some confusion around other symbols, causing staff distress during NAIDOC Week. One library employee, speaking anonymously to protect their job, said some people had been asked to remove the Aboriginal flag from their lanyards as they were not formally approved by the library. Another said they understood that “Always Was, Always Will Be” pins, also associated with the Indigenous sovereignty campaigns, could stay.
The library denies the writers’ events were cancelled because of their political views, instead saying it was due to a reassessment of “child and cultural safety” protocols. However, staff haveOne library employee said morale continues to be at an “all-time low” with staff being asked to remove content perceived as political from the work intranet and their personal Facebook pages, and some employees taking stress leave.
These guidelines, which are mentioned explicitly in the workplace’s dress code and were cited by a library spokesperson when questioned on the above issuesdemand employees demonstrate “impartiality”. Employees at other public libraries and state arts institutions, including Arts Centre Melbourne, have also been sent the Code of Conduct in recent months in response to some staff wearing similar pro-Palestine apparel, however enforcement varies between workplaces.
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