Wollongong's public services ground to a halt on Friday morning, as hundreds of Wollongong City Council workers walked off the job over recommendations put forward by the controversial citizens panel.
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Council administration said the ‘‘unauthorised’’ stop-work meeting affected all patrolled beaches, a number of pools as well as some libraries and community centres.
United Services Union members from the council’s nursery, customer service centre and art gallery as well as hundreds of maintenance and road workers in their high-vis gear also took part in the industrial action.
At a heated meeting in Civic Plaza, members voted unanimously to ‘‘condemn the citizens panel recommendations surrounding the wages and conditions of [council] employees’’.
The also called on the council to ‘‘fully reject all the recommendations of the citizens panel’’ and condemned the actions of general manager David Farmer and senior staff involved in the consultation process.
USU general secretary Graeme Kelly was ruthless in his criticism of the council and the panel.
He said Mr Farmer and Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery needed to accept they had ‘‘botched this whole thing’’.
‘‘It’s nothing more than a weak, lily-livered, gutless attempt to attack workers’ conditions and the community of Wollongong behind 35 hapless people,’’ he said.
‘‘They want to hang their heads in shame and we want to send the message to them that it’s not on and we’re not copping it.’’
Mr Kelly warned the council had not seen the end of the union’s campaign should it choose to proceed with the panel’s suggestions.
