The City of Greater Geelong Council (CoGG) told workers on April 2 that it intends to close its aged care service. This move will leave 300 people without jobs and thousands of residents without in-home care. CoGC breached its enterprise agreement by giving workers five days鈥 notice before 鈥渃onsultation鈥 on the plan.
The vote was to be at a closed council meeting put on April 10, but has now been deferred until the results of a Fair Work Commission (FWC) hearing.
Council officers said its recommendation comes in the wake of Labor鈥檚 , which starts on July 1.
states聽that 鈥渟pecialised providers are best-placed to provide this service in this new environment鈥. It said CoGC had made the 鈥渄ifficult decision鈥 to recommend that council 鈥渆xit all in-home community care services, ensuring that specialist providers continue to provide the best standard of care possible鈥.
The Australian Services Union (ASU), which covers council workers, rallied on April 8 after the union had taken CoGC to the FWC. The results are yet to be made public.
Angry community workers, unionists and residents attended, including some who picketed the staff carpark, prompting Liberal Mayor Stretch Kontelj to drive up to them, before parking elsewhere and coming back to argue.
Kontelj defended CoGC鈥檚 recommendation, but said no decision had been made.
Asked why 聽says it will no longer provide the service, despite no vote being taken, Kontelj replied he 鈥100% understood鈥 concerns, but that they needed to 鈥渞elax鈥.
ASU Deputy Branch Secretary Zoe Edwards told the protest that council would make a decision in May and that an alternative motion to not fully exit from aged-care services was on the table, although she had not seen the details.
鈥淭his service is about supporting the elderly with quality jobs on quality pay [and] to prevent people having to go into aged care,鈥 Edwards said.
Community care workers said the same, adding that they are worried about losing their jobs and leaving the elderly in the lurch.
Some say the Liberal Party advised its councillors to pause a decision until after May 3 because they want to avoid a backlash at the polls.
Federal Labor MP for Corangamite Libby Coker and Victorian Labor MPs Christine Couzens, Ella George and Alison Marchant, pledged to support council鈥檚 aged care workers.聽Couzens said the move to scrap the service was an example of council鈥檚 鈥渂ack-to-basics鈥 promises and urged the crowd to continue fighting.
Councillors Elise Wilkinson, Melissa Cadwell and Emma Sinclair attended. Deputy Mayor Ron Nelson and councillor Chris Burson, formerly of the Angry Victorians party, observed from a distance.
[The Australian Services Union is urging people to and . Angela Carr is a member of the ASU.]
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