By Sue Bolton
MELBOURNE — A strike by Richmond Council workers is into its fourth week, and another 26 local councils in Melbourne are affected by industrial bans. The key issue in the dispute is job security.
Job security is threatened by forced council amalgamations. The Local Government Board is currently reviewing the boundaries of 21 metropolitan councils, most of which are expected to be forced into amalgamation with other councils at the end of the process.
Council amalgamations are an initiative of the state Kennett government, to cut services and jobs. Currently, councils run a lot of services such as child-care and aged care. Many of these services are expected to close when councils amalgamate, and many jobs are expected to be lost.
Richmond workers were especially incensed when they discovered that job security has been offered to the chief executive officer, but not to workers. Peter McCauley, Australian Services Union shop steward for the outdoor workers at Richmond Council, told Green Left Weekly, "Management and councillors have got a two-year job guarantee after the council amalgamation. We are demanding that all council workers be given that same guarantee."
The union is demanding no forced sackings of its members for two years, and if workers are redeployed to a lower position, they maintain their current pay. Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, St Kilda, Williamstown and all the councils in the Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong regions have signed the employment protection agreement, but other councils, such as Richmond, have refused to negotiate job security.
A stop-work meeting of 4000 council workers on February 22 endorsed the official recommendation to ban emptying litter bins in parks and shopping centres, work on main arterial roads, issuing library fines for overdue books, issuing or delivering council agenda, committee papers and reports, dealing with councillors, processing of electricity disconnections, new commercial electricity connections, and maintenance of council properties, except community facilities.
If no agreement has been reached with the councils by March 1, all council workers will strike for 24 hours on Wednesday, March 2.
A motion from the floor for an immediate strike was supported by a third of the meeting. Another motion called for a levy of one hour's pay a week per member for the Richmond strike fund. The motion was supported by everyone except Daryl Cochrane, the assistant secretary of the ASU.
The striking Richmond Council workers are calling for support. People can show their support by visiting the picket line at Richmond Town Hall and by making a donation to the strike fund. Money and messages of support can be sent c/- ASU, 116 Queensberry Street, Carlton South Vic 3053. Ph: (03) 347 1955, fax: (03) 348 1498.