Brimbank council administrative staff will join industrial action next week when they walk off the job for half a day.
Australian Services Union organiser Russell McGregor said staff across the council’s municipal offices in Sunshine and Keilor, leisure centre and library staff would join depot staff for a half-day strike early next week, most likely next Tuesday.
“It’s the first time in history the indoor staff have voted to go on strike,” Mr McGregor said.
The move comes as depot staff kick off a three-day strike outside the council’s Sunshine office today as the long-running stalemate in Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) negotiations continues.
The strike will affect all outdoor services including rubbish collection, by-laws officers and parks and gardens. Emergency call-outs that could compromise health or safety are exempt from the work bans.
The council hired JJ Richards to take care of this week’s rubbish collection, but the company later decided not to cross ranks after meeting with council staff, Mr McGregor said.
Council staff and the ASU are concerned about a clause in the draft EBA which refers to the introduction of GPS on council vehicles, plant and equipment, and the introduction of surveillance technology.
Mr McGregor said the clause meant Brimbank council would be removing its employees’ legal right to privacy.
“The Surveillance Act states you can track someone’s movements or the vehicle they’re in only with their express consent.
“What council wants to do is put that into an enterprise agreement and get people to vote on it. It means people who didn’t give express consent would have their rights eroded.”
Mr McGregor said the outsourcing of council services was also of concern to staff.
Read more on the story in next week’s copy of Star Weekly in your letterbox.
