Councils unite against CFMEU

THE five councils in the G21 area have united against what they describe as attempts by the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) to “muscle in” on their employees.

On Wednesday this week, the Borough of Queenscliffe, Colac Otway Shire, Surf Coast Shire and Golden Plains Shire jointly announced they had joined the City of Greater Geelong’s oppositon to the CFMEU representing any of its workers.

The city and other councils have recently received notification from the CFMEU that the union wishes to participate in the city’s Enterprise Agreement negotiations and bargain on the behalf of some employees.

The councils say they are worried that if the CFMEU is successful, it will likely escalate council costs and inefficiencies, as well as hurt productivity and the councils’ ability to deliver services to ratepayers.

Most local government employees are members of unions such as the Australian Services Union (ASU) and Professionals Australia.

The Fair Work Commission is now trying to resolve the dispute over the unions’ representation rights.

City of Greater Geelong chief executive officer Ali Wastie said the decision by neighbouring councils to join together showed unity and the critical importance of the issue for the region.

“We are one of the biggest and fastest growing regional cities in the country and provide over 120 different services from childcare, aged care, school crossing safety, maternal health, waste services, business support, cleaning and engineering, and many more.

“Our council’s focus is on delivering quality services and infrastructure for our growing population, but the CFMEU’s attempts to muscle into our workforce will only cause angst and damage our culture.’’

Ms Wastie said the city respected its employees’ right to representation and remained committed to achieving a positive outcome.

Surf Coast Shire chief executive offcier Robyn Seymour said her council believed in a fair and level playing field for all its workers.

“And when we enter into enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with workers, it is done to get the best outcome for everyone.”

Borough of Queenscliffe chief executive Martin Gill said the borough was committed to providing services that met community needs.

“As a service provider, we value the dialogue and negotiations we conduct with our workforce to ensure these services are effectively delivered.

“We hear from our staff that they feel well represented by the Australian Services Union, and we appreciate the role that the ASU plays in representing our employees.”