Council & Business
28 January, 2025
Council remains opposed to employee agreement
The Central Goldfields Shire Council will continue to fight an agreement seeking better staff conditions, appealing a recent Fair Work Commission ruling in the Federal Court.
The Commission ruled in favour of a multi-enterprise agreement covering the Central Goldfields and Ararat councils late last year, meaning both councils must enter the bargaining process for the new agreement.
Under an agreement of this kind, employees from different organisations can collectively bargain for better wages and conditions for all staff, with the exception of the CEO.
However, despite the Commission’s ruling, council remains opposed to the agreement, with interim CEO Sally Jones claiming council has “no other option”.
“Our own community and our employees must come first. Council has a responsibility to maintain the financial sustainability of its operations, and with spiralling costs against years of rate capping by the Victorian Government, we must pursue the best outcome for our own shire,” she said.
“Bundling different regional councils together fails to account for the different challenges they face, from widely different geographical sizes and completely different populations and industries to the vastly different distances from regional and capital cities.
“We have no other option but to appeal Fair Work’s decision, while at the same time keeping negotiations moving forward. We believe this is in the best interest of all involved.”
The Australian Services Union (ASU) first approached council in March last year, with a majority of staff showing support in favour of the agreement.
Council initially opposed the agreement on the grounds staff did not provide informed consent, however after the ASU filed its evidence with the Commission, council indicated it did not oppose a finding that a “slim majority” of employees wanted to bargain for the agreement.
Council also argued it had a pre-existing agreement with the Australian Nurses and Midwives’ Federation, and that an authorisation by the Commission would be contrary to public interest.
The Commission, however, argued there was no evidence of a pre-existing agreement, and the contention around public interest was “no more than an assertion that Goldfields Council does not consent to the application”.
Council has since sought to clarify the broader implications of Fair Work’s decision and what this might mean for other regional Victorian councils, in collaboration with the Municipal Association of Victoria.
ASU Vic Tas secretary Tash Wark said taking the matter to the Federal Court will be costly for council.
“They’re saying they don’t have a lot of resources and yet they have expended money to defend this firstly at the Fair Work Commission where they lost, and now at the Federal Court,” she said.
“The Federal Court is a cost jurisdiction so if the decision goes against them, potentially they are covering our costs as well.
“We’re not going to have our members shoulder the cost for a recalcitrant council that wants to run a weak case that hampers our members’ lawful right.”
Ms Wark said the ASU remains committed to sitting down with council and pursuing an agreement.
“If council want to get on with the process in the meantime then we are really happy to commit to a schedule of meetings,” she said.
“We’ve all bargained before, it’s really not too big a deal and if council can’t afford wage increases, that’s something we’ll work out at the bargaining table.
“Our members are still of the same position at Ararat and Central Goldfields — they want an employer bargain — and that is the position we will defend.
“We really commend our members for standing by their position.”