Council workers at Shoalhaven City Council walked off the job today in disgust over plans to use contract cleaners but the Council's general manager refused to meet workers, delegates or the Union.
United Services Union (USU) manager Rudi Oppitz said today's strike action is a result of the Council persisting with its agenda to outsource the amenities cleaning to private contractors which will see council jobs lost and services to the community reduced.
"Members of the United Services Union demonstrated their anger at the Council's decision by holding a stop work meeting in pouring rain outside the Council chambers in Nowra this morning," Mr Oppitz said.
"Our members were angry that Shoalhaven's General Manager refused to meet with USU officials and a small group of employees. The failure to meet with workers and refusal to discuss this issue resulted in a resolution by workers to continue their industrial action."
"The contracting out of this work is resonating throughout the community with representatives from the South Coast Labour Council, Councillor Watson and Labour Councillors supporting the action taken by the Union and its members."
"We will be attempting to hold a meeting with the General Manager to press for the Council to reconsider its short-sighted, penny pinching decision to dump locally employed cleaners in favour of a private contractor."
