Community pressure needed at council meeting : Melbourne Indymedia

Community pressure needed at council meeting

7pm Wednesday
14 June
Coburg Town Hall
Bell St Coburg

Last night (Tue 8/6) YMCA management at Coburg Leisure Centre gave 3 weeks notice its staff. Moreland City Council, dominated by ALP councillors, awarded Belgravia Leisure as the preferred tender to run the leisure centre. Belgravia leisure have not guaranteed to re-hire staff and have not entered into serious negotiations with the union.

The Council on May 22 directed the CEO to negotiate with Belgravia Leisure to:

"Guarantee that existing employees engaged by the incumbent service provider... retain their existing wages, terms and conditions of employment"*

However at late this stage, with only 3 weeks before the change over, Belgravia have not entered into serious negotiations with the union, ASU, over how this can be achieved. Not only that there is no guarantee that all staff will be re-hired, no guarantee that existing programs will remain in tact or that existing conditions enjoyed by staff but not captured in the current EBA will be protected.

If the council do not ensure existing services then Belgravia could simply retrench workers by cancelling programs. Workers at the leisure centre are proud of their efforts of delivering a service to the community. Many elderly residents and individuals with special needs use Coburg Leisure Centre. We cannot let the integrity of these services be undermined by the tender process.

We need your assistance to guarantee existing services and hard won working conditions. Please come to the Moreland City Council meeting.

May 12, 7pm, Coburg Town Hall.

*After years of being a non-union centre the ASU have organised the workplace and won an EBA.

more info: Contact details of local councillors | Council resolution

background: Greenleft Weekly article | Motion passed at public IR meeting