Unions’ fears for council workers
UNIONS have raised concerns that outsourcing is threatening Hobart City Council workers’ jobs.
Representatives from the Australian Workers’ Union and Australian Services Union used last night’s Hobart City Council annual general meeting to question the Lord Mayor about outsourcing.
The unions claimed that during 2018-19 the council provided $10 million in contracts to private companies for work that could have be done by council staff.
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said as elected members had not discussed the issue, she could not provide a response on behalf of council.
“I would have to confer with my colleagues (on whether) they wanted to discuss it, or if it was an operational matter for the general manager,” Cr Reynolds said.
Australian Services Union organiser Karen Tantari said services outsourced covered a range of council activities, such as engineering, roadworks, toilet cleaning and maintenance of parks and reserves.
“Public toilets are contracted out and they are not cleaned to the same standard,” she said.
Workers are due to vote on a wage offer this month.