As (Australian) state
governments continue to tinker with council mergers and amalgamations, rather
than look at how councils can provide more and better services to meet our
growing community needs, the local government councils themselves, along with
their employees and their Union (the ASU), and the community at large focus on
more important matters.
Amongst
our concerns are how to respond to merger proposals to ensure the best
continuation of services to the community and how to maintain the employment of
those with the detailed knowledge and skills to deliver the best for the
community through direct local government employment, as well as looking at how
to plan the workforce of the future in local government.
To assist ASU Branches
and officials, the ASU National Office has published a discussion paper that
includes the following areas:
·
Financial arrangements
·
The concept of 'reform'
·
State & territory government policy directions
·
Recent local government reform and amalgamation measures
·
Union activity around amalgamations
·
Info on local government employees
·
Importance of local jobs
·
Impact on staff morale and productivity
·
Unanticipated costs
·
Perspectives on amalgamations
·
Claimed benefits are unsubstantiated
·
Increasing scepticism about the real motivation of amalgamations
·
Communities and local services
·
Community opposition to forced amalgamations
·
More jobs and funding needed for local services
The discussion paper has
been forwarded to ASU local government organisers and officials as well ASU
officials in other public services industries. ASU delegates can obtain a copy
of the discussion paper from their Branch and or Union Organiser.
The publications are also available to PSI affiliates gmclean@syd.asu.asn.au
ASU Assistant National
Secretary and head of local government and public services team, Greg McLean
said, "The key reason we put the discussion paper together was to have a
starting point for ASU officials, delegates and reps to go to when they are
faced with merger or amalgamation discussions."
"With this information in hand, they can have an understanding of key issues and what's recently happened in other states, as well as their own."
"The paper is easy to read, be it at the local council depot, in the field or at the council offices, libraries, child care centres etc. It's a paper that is made for members and officials to pick up, when the word amalgamations or mergers is heard, and someone says 'what does that mean?'."
"It's very much what I would have wanted in my hands when I was a Union Organiser," said Greg McLean.
"With this information in hand, they can have an understanding of key issues and what's recently happened in other states, as well as their own."
"The paper is easy to read, be it at the local council depot, in the field or at the council offices, libraries, child care centres etc. It's a paper that is made for members and officials to pick up, when the word amalgamations or mergers is heard, and someone says 'what does that mean?'."
"It's very much what I would have wanted in my hands when I was a Union Organiser," said Greg McLean.
