UPDATE Friday 7.50am: Bendigo East MP Jacinta Allan has responded to Thursday’s protest by disability workers in Bendigo.

“We are proud to be part of this historic social reform and want to ensure the transition to the NDIS is fair for everyone working in, and served, by the disability sector in Bendigo,” Ms Allan said.

“We will continue working with HACSU and other the relevant unions to ensure quality, standard and training levels are maintained and improved as the NDIS becomes operational.”

Disability Minister Martin Foley’s office said 27,000 additional people in Victoria would enter the NDIS.

A spokesperson said that to cater for the extra demand on the sector, the government was expanding the delivery of disability services “in partnership with the non-government sector and will work to ensure the best outcomes for clients, families and staff”.

UPDATE 2.30pm: Disability Minister Martin Foley’s office has responded following a protest by disability service workers and their union in Bendigo on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the minister said the state government took very seriously its role in delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme and upholding the “promise of a better system for people with disabilities”.

The spokesperson also said the Health and Community Services Union had the right to voice its concerns.

“However, like any big reform there are many challenges we need to respond to,” the spokesperson said.

“The Victorian Government will continue liaising with the relevant unions about workforce issues like quality and standard, training opportunities and professionalising the sector and the delivery of fair conditions throughout transition.”

UPDATE 2pm: Local disability service workers have made their voices heard with a protest in the Bendigo CBD.

The group of about 40 marched through Queen, Wills and Mitchell streets to Bendigo East MP and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan’s office, calling for the government to retain its involvement in disability services.

Health and Community Services Union state secretary Lloyd Williams said prior to the 2014 state election, the Andrews government, including Ms Allan and Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards, had stood with the union in its opposition to the privatisation plan of the Napthine government, but that had changed.

The National Disability Insurance Scheme was “woefully underfunded”, Mr Williams said, so the state government was aiming to cut costs ahead of the roll-out by privatising public services, which would lead to poorer wages, conditions and job security.

He said this would result in the loss of staff and their skill and expertise, undermining the quality of services delivered to people with a disability.

Bendigo disability support worker Peter Kepsner participated in the action, and said he wanted to find out more about Ms Allan’s position.

He said one of his main concerns was job security.

Fellow disability support worker Russell Smith added they were also concerned about there being a detrimental impact on the services available for clients, and client-to-staff ratios.

Ms Allan and Disability Minister Martin Foley have been contacted for comment.

Following action last year, a spokeswoman for Mr Foley said the government was partnering with the non-government sector to expand delivery of disability services.

She said the government would ensure any staff subject to a “transfer” were doing so on fair terms.

EARLIER: Disability carers and support workers across the region are planning strike action on Thursday in a push for increased wages, conditions and job security in the public sector.

The Health and Community Services Union says 200 jobs in the region are at risk and workers face a 30 per cent pay cut if the state government privatises public disability services.

Thursday’s protest action is part of an ongoing enterprise bargaining agreement campaign.

“Through this agreement we want staff to feel secure and see disability services as a career, professionalising disability support work so well-trained, qualified and experienced staff deliver a consistent and quality service in Victoria,” HACSU state secretary Lloyd Williams said.

Following protest action last October, a spokeswoman for Ageing and Disability Minister Martin Foley told the Bendigo Advertiser the government was “expanding the delivery of disability services in partnership with the non-government sector” to deliver the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

“A transfer will only occur if the government is satisfied that an organisation meets its key criteria around quality and fairness and we will ensure that staff are supported to transfer on fair terms,” the spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said the government needed to double the workforce to ensure it had the additional services and supports in place for the 27,000 extra Victorians expected to enter the disability system with the NDIS.

But Mr Williams said the NDIS roll-out was “leading us down the low road of an insecure, fragmented workforce, with a risk riddled, cut-price service”.