Workers Online
Workers Online
Workers Online
  Issue No 120 Official Organ of LaborNet 23 November 2001  

 --

 --

 --

.  LaborNET

.  Ask Neale

.  Tool of the Week


News

Workers Force Council Backdown


The Sydney City Council has failed in its bid to exclude unions form a contentious workplace ballot that could open the way for competitive tendering of council services.

The Municipal Employees Union has accused the Council of failing to recognise workers rights to be represented at the workplace.

Council has pushed to hold a secret ballot on the new Enterprise Agreement and exclude the MEU from the process in an attempt to intimidate members into voting for an agreement which promotes Competitive Tendering and would lead to job loss.

In conciliation proceedings before the Industrial Commission on 21 November 2001 Council conceded that a secret ballot for the proposed enterprise agreement should not proceed prior to the MEU meeting with the Lord Mayor to discuss Council's policy of Competitive Tendering.

Meetings with MEU members on 13 and 14 November resoundingly opposed the introduction of the enterprise agreement which seeks to continue Council's Competitive Tendering regime, threatening core areas of employment at the City.

Council has advised the MEU that it has no intention to hold further negotiations with the Union concerning the terms of the Union's proposed Award application.

In effect the Council has ceased to recognise the MEU as the representative body acting on behalf of employees at the City Council. Council has refused to grant paid leave for Union delegates to meet with Union officials during working hours to discuss the Union's Award application. Tensions have been quite high at the City of late with senior management representatives subjecting an officer of the Union to physical and verbal abuse.

The Competitive Tendering issue is now of even greater significance for workers across metropolitan local government given the announcement of the Sproats Recommendations for boundary changes in Leichhardt, South Sydney and other Sydney Councils.

The MEU has called upon the City Council and the NSW State Government to place a moratorium on Competitive Tendering at each of the Councils effected by border changes for a period of three years. The Union demands that a social impact study be carried out to identify the effects of contracting out on wages, working conditions and job tenure for employees in local government.

While competitive tendering has the capacity to effect the job security of all staff at the City, Council's policy will particularly disadvantage the blue collar workforce.


------

*    Visit the MEU

*   View entire issue - print all of the articles!

*   Issue 120 contents

In this issue
Features
*  Interview: Civilising Capital
Peter Butler is a global investor with a difference. He believes that environment, shareholder democracy and workers rights make good business sense.
*
*  Industrial: All In The Family
In his opening submission to the landmark case, ACTU assistant secretary Richard Marles argues working hours are vital to life.
*
*  Unions: Saving Cinderella
It is a modern day fairy tale - a Cinderella from the suburbs, worked like a slave from morning to night injured and then abandoned.
*
*  International: Recognising China
Gough Whitlam draws the links, past and present, between recognition of China and the continuing struggle to achieve a genuinely inclusive Australian democracy.
*
*  History: The Speakers Square
A new book lifts the lid on Melbourne's radical past - including the soapboxes that dotted the city in the 1890s.
*
*  Economics: Back to the Pack
The big story in this year�s State of the States League Table is the end of the long reign of New South Wales at the top of the heap.
*
*  Satire: Man Reneges On Promise To Leave The Country If Howard Re-Elected
A Sydney man has decided he won�t leave Australia despite the re-election of the Howard Government.
*
*  Review: When Hippes Meet Unionists
A new book investigates how links between politics and culture reached a high point in the 1970s
*

News
»  Calls for ALP Fundraising Code
*
»  Mad Monk Keeps IR
*
»  Ignored Warnings Bring Tragic Results
*
»  ACTU Executive To Mark Union Bounce Back
*
»  Workers Will Lose from Unfair Contract Changes
*
»  Tassie On Top, While NSW And WA Slip
*
»  Costa Gets First Union Call
*
»  Hamberger in Hot Water
*
»  Egan to Pay for Welfare Win
*
»  Sweet Victory for Sugar Workers
*
»  Selectron Demise Spells Death of Tech Inustry
*
»  Telco Industry Growth Hits The Wall
*
»  Shocking Conditions in Clothing Industry
*
»  Workers Force Council Backdown
*
»  New Dili Project Launched
*
»  Airport Guards Welcome Work Study Case
*
»  No News is Bad News for the Bush
*
»  Getonboard Closes Doors
*
»  Activists Notebook
*
»  Organiser of the Year Nominations Open
*

Columns
»  The Soapbox
*
»  The Soapbox
*
»  Trades Hall
*
»  Tool Shed
*

Letters to the editor
»  The Cost a Costa
*
»  Unionism and the ALP - a Workers View.
*
»  Is 60-40 Good Odds?
*
»  Ancient OHS - The Wergild Sysstem
*

What you can do

Notice Board
- Check out the latest events

Latest Issue

View entire latest issue
- print all of the articles!

Previous Issues

Subject index

Search all issues

Enter keyword(s):
  


Workers Online - 2nd place Labourstart website of the year


BossWatch


Wobbly Radio



[ Home ][ Notice Board ][ Search ][ Previous Issues ][ Latest Issue ]

© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW

LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW

URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/120/news72_meu.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005

[ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ]

LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW

 *LaborNET*

 Labor Council of NSW

[Workers Online]

[Social Change Online]