At the staff consultative committee meeting held on Wednesday 3rd June 2020 Council advised a number of cost saving measures that will impact our members including:

  1. Reduction in hours of work for Managers and above from 35 hours per week to 34 hours per week and a corresponding drop in income.
  2. The cessation of paying higher duties for employees acting in higher positions.
  3. Placing on hold the program for new apprentices and trainees in 2021.

The Union has a number of serious concerns about these proposals including:

  1. No employee should be forced to have their hours or their pay reduced in this way. It is a fact that most managers already work many unpaid hours in a week and this proposal compounds this situation. The Union is here to speak to any member who is impacted by this decision and to act on the matter accordingly.
  2. The Blacktown City Council Enterprise Agreement states that any employee who acts in a higher grade position must be paid appropriately. It appears that Council expects our members to take on these extra duties for the experience of the process only. This is clearly not acceptable and the Union will be actively seeking to change this proposal.

    IF YOU ARE ASKED TO PERFORM HIGHER DUTIES WITHOUT BEING PAID FOR THEM PLEASE CONTACT A DELEGATE URGENTLY.

  3. Whilst it is unfortunate that the apprentice and trainee programs are to be placed on hold for 12 months the Union is seeking confirmation from Council that these programs will return in 2022 with at least the same number of participants as there were in 2020.

Any USU member who feels impacted by Council’s proposals should contact their delegate or your organiser Sandie Morthen on 0419 761 326 or at smorthen@usu.org.au