Any hopes Shellharbour City Council had that they could cut youth services quietly behind closed doors were crushed on Tuesday 21 May when 150 people attended our rally at Shellharbour Civic Centre.
Pictured above: USU Southern Industrial Officer Stuart Geddes opening address to rally
Alongside our own members from across Shellharbour City Council’s workforce the South Coast Labour Council, Public Service Association of NSW, Rail Tram Bus Union NSW, Maritime Union Australia, Australian Workers Union, Australian Services Union NSW branch, Southern Youth and Family Services, Albion Park Youth and Community Services and Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson turned up in solidarity and to hold council accountable.
If council’s reprehensible decision goes ahead, a number of youth workers will be made redundant and services that help some of the local community’s most disadvantaged youth will be cut.
Re-distributing council’s youth services among other local non-government services is not a viable solution. These services are not eligible for additional funding and are already under enormous pressure, without taking on the additional heavy workload that would be left behind if council’s restructure is successful.
Community services are no strangers to chronic under-resourcing; however, funding cuts, high vacancy rates and the cost-of-living crisis combined means they are struggling more than ever to stay afloat.
The timing of Shellharbour Council’s plans, just weeks after child protection workers at Wollongong Community Services Centre rallied to protest high caseworker vacancies and the ongoing crisis in child protection services in NSW, suggests this is a council severely out of touch with their community’s needs.
As the union for local government workers in NSW, we intend to fight council’s reprehensible decision every step of the way. As such, we have referred the matter to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
The USU truck parked out the front of council, calling out council’s actions.
Just some of the 150 people who attended the rally. Alongside our own members, other local unions, the South Coast Labour Council and other community organisations were there in a show of solidarity.
