Shoalhaven City Council has engaged in a process of systemically attacking workers who have suffered an injury in the workplace.
Council, as you may know, is self insured meaning they are responsible for their workers, for the purpose of workers compensation. Rather than engaging in these processes productively and compassionately, council has regularly engaged in the unconscionable behaviour of consistently denying liability and forcing workers into situations of lengthy protracted litigation.
Rather than engage with these processes as a compassionate employer would, council has dragged out proceedings, forcing injured workers on to their sick leave, dragging it out until their leave is exhausted. They refuse access to other leave, forcing injured workers back to work or into financial hardship while the case continues.
When the union has challenged this and sought access to other leave, what does the council do?
They hire an expensive lawyer for a service they can receive for minimal cost from LGNSW. They waste rate payer funds to not only force injured workers into hardship but to undermine any claim for workers compensation.
This behaviour is hurting workers and wasting rate payers’ money and casts a shadow over the whole council.
The USU will not stand for this behaviour.
If you are an employee and not a member we encourage you to join, or if you are a rate payer we encourage you to raise your concerns with council.
