HUNDREDS of Wyndham Council workers have thrown their support behind five sacked workers by voting to take industrial action, potentially costing the council about $60,000 every day.
At a private meeting of Australian Services Union members last Wednesday workers agreed to stop working, meaning parking fines may not be issued and fees from the council’s Refuse Disposal Facility may not get collected.
The action was in response to explosive revelations earlier this month that five parks and gardens employees were dismissed after the council hired a private investigator to gather proof of misconduct at work.
ASU Branch Secretary Brian Parkinson said the union believes the workers’ claims that they were encouraged and intimidated into doing the wrong thing by the investigator, such as drinking alcohol at work, and were then photographed by him.
Mr Parkinson said industrial action would start as soon as possible.
“In a mass meeting held today, ASU members clearly threw their support behind the sacked workers and will begin work bans from tomorrow (Thursday),” Mr Parkinson said.
“As mentioned, the ASU will do everything in its power to help reinstate these workers and help clear their name regarding the allegations being thrown in their direction. We have also started the process of lodging for unfair dismissal through Fair Work Australia in an attempt to stop this outrageous behaviour from Wyndham City Council.”
According to the council’s 2010/11 Financial Review, the tip brought in $21.3 million in fees – the equivalent of about $60,000 per day.
ASU Assistant Branch Secretary Richard Duffy told Star Wyndham Council could begin to suffer from the industrial action.
“People will be getting free parking and be able to dump their stuff at the tip for free,” Mr Duffy said.
“You might notice Watton St get very dirty soon.”
Wyndham Council CEO Kerry Thompson said the work bans by union members qualified as unprotected industrial action and as a result the council intended to refer the matter to the Fair Work Commission.
“If the ASU and or our former employees believe that their dismissals were unfair they have a right to make a claim to the Fair Work Commission. Rather than playing out the matter in the media and causing a disruption to residents, making a claim to the Fair Work Commission is what they should do if they genuinely believe their dismissal was unfair. It is my understanding that the staff involved in these cases, or there representatives, have not yet lodged an application with the Commission, which raises questions regarding the intent of the work bans,” Ms Thompson said.
“Given the sanctions, including loss of pay, that come with unprotected industrial action, and that will apply to those staff who participate, I sincerely hope that the union has given the staff involved all the appropriate information.
“The impact of work bans will be assessed and action will be taken to ensure disruption to residents or loss of revenue is minimised.”
