Union accuses city council of ‘not caring for’ Coast workers

GOLD Coast City Council is now among a dozen Queensland local councils accused by a major union of “abandoning” their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But council says the workers are the responsibility of the agency they’re hired through.

The Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy

Union claims 12 councils have failed their coronavirus “report card”. CFMEU State Secretary Michael Ravbar accused council of not offering enough support or special paid leave to employees forced into isolation or lockdown.

“At a time when support is needed most, these administrators are not caring for people in their own community,” he said. The union has called on local government authority to guarantee a minimum 14 days additional COVID-19 leave “for all workers who need to access it”.

However, City of Gold Coast CEO Dale Dickson said it was the responsibility of the “temporary agency resources” to manage leave for staff. “Labour hire workers are engaged by the City on a temporary basis to perform essential and non-essential tasks including ensuring the delivery of the City’s large capital works program,” he said.

“It is a matter of the employers of these temporary agency resources, not the City of Gold Coast, as to how they will address leave arrangements at this time.”

CFMEU’s accusation comes as city election candidate Wayne Purcell calls for council to provide alternative employment opportunities to people left jobless after dozens of businesses were forced to close.