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Issue No. 147 | 09 August 2002 |
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A Call to Action
Interview: Save Our Souls Unions: Rats With Wings Bad Boss: If The Boot Fits History: Political Bower Birds International: No More Business as Usual Corporate: The Seven Deadly Sins of Capitalism Industrial: Stiffed! Review: Prepare To Bend Satire: Bush Boosts Sharemarket Confidence: Shares his Cocaine Stash
Competitions The Soapbox The Locker Room Week in Review Bosswatch
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News Ten Click Walker 'Unfit for Work'
Parramatta and Auburn Councils have rejected the advice of the State Government Medical Officer to tip long-serving parking officers out of their jobs on medical grounds. Distressed former Parramatta parking officer, Gloria Hogan, pledged she would take the council before the Anti Discrimination Board, with Labor Council support. Hogan, and an Auburn counterpart, are victims of the July transfer of parking duties from the NSW Police to local councils. They were sacked, despite all clear's from Healthquest, on the recommendation of council-appointed doctors. Parramatta has refused to furnish Labor Council with the medical report on which it based Hogan's sacking but says it alleged she "would have problems" with prolonged walking, standing or bending. Hogan dismisses that "excuse" as "rubbish". She estimates she has walked eight-to-ten kilometres every day since becoming a parking officer. The council dumped her one day short of qualifying for 10-year long service entitlements. Hogan says the only problem she has had during that time was time off, four years ago, after developing heel spurs on the job. The Phillipines immigrant was particularly incensed when Parramatta Council HR manager, John Child, told her her English wasn't up to being an "ambassador for Parramatta" with tourists. "I was really hurt when he told me that," Hogan said. "I've lived in Australia for 17 years and married a fair-dinkum Aussie. Before joining the police I worked in customer service for a tourist hotel and with State Rail." Besides near-perfect English and her native Tagalog, Hogan has a passing grasp of Japanese, German and Spanish. "I really enjoyed my job, working with the public and helping the community," she said. "Every morning I used to get up and say - another 50 cents - but it was just a joke. I liked coming to work. "I'm fit and I want to work. I think the way I have been treated by Parramatta Council is very unfair." Every council, other than Parramatta and Auburn, accepted Healthquest reports on the fitness of employees transferring from the Police Service.
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