Making more permanent workers temporary, not replacing staff who leave, outsourcing more work and axing bonuses for executives – Wollongong City Council’s workforce is in for a shake-up if the citizens panel recommendations are adopted.
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The controversial panel, tasked with finding ways to make the council more financially sustainable, saw the opportunity to save significant costs on staff wages.
It recommends: ‘‘reduce staffing levels across the organisation (indoor and outdoor staff)’’, and suggests increasing casual workers and contractors.
Meanwhile, staff numbers – 1126 at present – would be reduced by attrition. The panel suggests ‘‘do not replace staff that exit the organisation’’.
The cadet, apprenticeships and trainee program would be cut in half to save $1million.
Public toilet cleaning could be outsourced and staff could be reduced in the design and technical services, roads and bridges, and customer service divisions.
The panel predicts these strategies would save $80,000 to $100,000 per position, while the council’s Enterprise Bargaining Agreement could be revised to make it more ‘‘cost effective’’ for new staff.
Not even general manager David Farmer’s office, and the council executive, are safe – a reduction is recommended.
Yesterday Mr Farmer told the Mercury the council did not have a staff reduction program in place.
‘‘Council currently reviews each vacancy as they arise and determines the appropriate response to deal with the individual situation,’’ he said. ‘‘We then discuss with the relevant staff unions in accordance with our Enterprise Agreement.
‘‘Council has no current staff reduction program.’’
Mr Farmer said decisions on outsourcing were made case by case.
‘‘Council makes continual assessments about how a particular service may be delivered,’’ he said.
‘‘There has not been a comprehensive study into outsourcing undertaken in recent years.’’
Citizens panel member Nicola Stanistreet said staff were ‘‘very well paid’’ in comparison to other councils.
‘‘We think the executive needs to look really seriously at what they’re doing and work more efficiently,’’ she said.
‘‘We also think any staff bonuses for executives and the general manager need to go.
‘‘Staffing costs at the council are way above the award for local government...because we have had our enterprise agreement for a long time and it was set up at a time when Wollongong council was trying to compete with BlueScope for staff and it needed to be attractive.’’
She said moving temporary staff to temporary conditions mainly concerned seasonal jobs.
‘‘We’re talking about moving permanent staff working at, for example, pools to a more temporary arrangement. Because this is seasonal work, so we shouldn’t have to try and find a place for them in the off-season when the pools aren’t open.’’
For a region that has been suffering the loss of thousands of jobs in traditional industries over recent years, one of the largest employers shedding staff would be a damaging blow.
United Services Union industrial officer Greg Golledge slammed the recommendations, saying the proposals ignored the needs of the community.
‘‘Wollongong doesn’t need this, advertising the fact that they’re going to reduce jobs in one of the largest employers here,’’ he said.
‘‘This area doesn’t need more temporary employment.’’
Mr Golledge said cutting apprenticeships and trainees would mean less skilled labour that was home grown, so more skilled workers would need to be imported from overseas.
Comments on the panel’s recommendations can be made at haveyoursaywollongong.com.au until November20.
Councillors will then debate the proposal at the December 9 council meeting.
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