Community pressure needed at council meeting
by Union Solidarity Friday June 09, 2006 at 05:05 PM

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.

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

www.unionsolidarity.org

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Council Resolution May 22
by Moreland City Council Friday June 09, 2006 at 09:15 PM
repost

Council resolves:

1. That Council authorises the Chief Executive Officer to negotiate with the following tenderers in the order of preference in which they appear:
   1. Belgravia Leisure Pty Ltd
   2. YMCA
   3. Network Leisure
   
   
   
2. That the negotiations in 1. above be conducted by the Chief Executive Officer and to require the preferred tenderer to:
   1. Guarantee that existing employees engaged by the incumbent service provider (who transfer across to the employment of the successful tenderer to provide services under the tender) retain their existing wages, terms and conditions of employment
   2. Guarantee that all other employees engaged by the tenderer to provide the services enjoy the benefit of identical wages, terms and conditions of employment to those employees referred to in 2a. above
   3. To have employees complete a staff climate survey annually in a format to be provided by Council, with the tenderer to provide survey results to Council.
   
   
   
3. That if the Chief Executive Officer is able to reach agreement concerning the requirements outlined in clause 2 above with:
   1. a.Belgravia, or failing agreement here, with
   2. YMCA, or failing agreement here, with
   3. Network Leisure,
   then Council authorises the Chief Executive Officer to sign and seal the contracts for RFT 1333 Management of the Coburg Leisure Centre Complex with a commencement date of 1 July 2006 with that tenderer.
   
   
4. That if the Chief Executive Officer is unable to negotiate agreement with the requirements in clause 2 above with any of the tenderers referred to in clause 3, then the tender process be referred back to a Council meeting for resolution.
   
   
5. That Council resolve to release the recommendation as outlined above.

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Motion of Public Meeting 17 May
by Moreland resident Friday June 09, 2006 at 09:25 PM

Unanimously passed Motion to support leisure industry workers at a public meeting against the Howard Industrial Relations Laws on May 17 at the Brunswick Town Hall.

1. Urges the Moreland City Council to reject the executive recommendation that the preferred tenderer be selected to operate the Coburg Leisure Complex.
   
   
2. Urges the that Moreland City Council enters into negotiations with the Australian Services Union over a mechanism to bring the Coburg Leisure Centre back "in-house".

www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2006/06/113800.php

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