
Issue No 41		26 November 1999

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News

Parkers Issue Ticket To Loitering Government

Parking Patrol Officers have imposed bans because the State Government will not give them assurances about their job security.

The members of the Public Service Association are refusing to issue parking tickets except in no-stopping zones, clearways, bus zones and disabled parking spaces. The bans were imposed at a stopwork meeting on November 16.

Parking patrol officers have been confronted by a recent push by Local Councils to take over parking regulation enforcement and the $60 million it generates.

Maurie O'Sullivan, President of the Public Service Association, says: "Our members are quite concerned about their future employment."

This situation is worsened by the fact that many members are being approached in the street by Council workers who are adamant that a deal has already been done .

Minister for Police, Paul Whelan, has failed to admit or deny approval of such a plan. He admits that consideration is being given to the proposal. This has added to the uncertainty.

The matter is before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission next Tuesday.

The key element in the story is an Auditor General's report which was released on Wednesday, after much speculation about its contents.

The report generally confirms what the PSA has being saying for ages, that PPOs are mismanaged and neglected by the Police Service, that the Police Service's enforcement of street parking is ineffective, and that the Service had erred in allowing Councils to take control of some areas.

The Auditor General offered four options:

* stick to the status quo;

* Police Service to take responsibility and get its management

in order;

* Councils to take over - arrangements would have to be made

to protect the state revenue;

* contract out the service.

The last does not appear to a serious consideration. The PSA favours the second option. As well as looking after PSA members, that option protects the Government revenue and ensures it is spent on schools, hospitals, roads, etc, for all citizens. To hand it over to Councils would make a few Councils rich while most would get no net benefit.

And Councils are unlikely to give the discretion to book or not book which the PPOs have. One Council in Sydney's eastern suburbs pays a hefty bonuses to Ordinance Inspectors based on the number of parking tickets issued. That is, forget the traffic and safety issues, just raise the money.

Police Impose Bans

Meanwhile, police in the Endeavour Region are taking industrial action in response to disputes at both the Newtown and Campsie Local Area Commands.

Despite attempts by the Police Association to negotiate a range of issues at region level, Region management has proceeded to implement a number of changes without consultation.

First Response Agreements, despite being strongly reinforced as a Police Service and Government Policy by Deputy Commissioner Jarratt less than two months ago, are being breached on an almost daily basis throughout the Endeavour Region.

The continued commitment to First Response Agreements across NSW was a Government pre-election pledge that it appears is not going to met by Management in this region. The Association says this is reducing services to the public and police at risk by working with insufficient back up.

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Issue 41 contents

Interview: A Bob Each Way
ALP tactician Bob McMullan is responsible for charting Labor industry policy into the next millennium. He tells us where he�s heading.

Unions: Organiser of the Year
Just ten days to go before entries close for our $2000 air ticket. Here�s another nomination.

History: Labour Daze
A report from the 6th National Biennial Conference of the Australian Society For The Study Of Labour and Community.

Politics: Tomorrow�s Questions
While the turn of the century sees Sydney play host to the Olympic games, the International Youth Parliament 2000 will bring world focus to contemporary issues facing young people.

Health: Red Ribbons
December 1, World AIDS Day has a special place in the history of the AIDS pandemic.

International: Organised Chaos
Persistent rumours are floating around Jakarta that the former boss of the official pro-Soeharto Indonesian trade union movement is about to be charged with corruption.

Economics: Seattle Numbers Grow for WTO Protest
News of the agreement to smooth China�s entry to the World Trade Organisation has created its own "China Syndrome" for organisers of the Seattle WTO event.

Satire: Too Many Media Players!
The Productivity Commission has issued a report calling for the abolition of existing cross-media ownership laws.

Review: Leviathan
John Birmingham has lifted the lid on Sydney�s shady past - and found trade unions to be at the centre of the sordid tales.

Deface a Face: Reith Loses His Shine
With his Second Wave looking more like a splash in the bath-tub, Workplace Relations Minister Peter Reith still reigns as the union movement�s favourite bogeyman.

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» Tools for Timor Plea

» Rio Tinto Sacks 84 for Christmas Eve

» Hotel Workers in Unprecedented Action

» Tug Action Hits Sydney Harbour

» Free National Parks Access as Bans Kick In

» Parkers Issue Ticket To Loitering Government

» Stop Forced Repatriation of Burmese Migrant Workers

» Will the Real Casual Workers Please Stand Up?

» STOP PRESS: Labor Wins NZ Election