Gawler Council chief finally halts his own pay rise, weeks after stalling staff pay agreements
Gawler Council chief executive Henry Inat told his staff at the start of the month that he couldn’t continue their pay negotiations because of coronavirus. Only last week did he decide to halt his own pay rise too.
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Gawler Council workers’ wage negotiations have been suspended due to coronavirus – at the same time as their chief executive officer has pushed for his own pay rise.
Staff were this month told via an internal memo from chief executive Henry Inat that their enterprise bargaining agreement – which they had been negotiating for about two years – could not go ahead because of the pandemic.
In the memo on April 1, sighted by The Messenger, Mr Inat told staff he was “unable to support the contents” of the agreement.
“This is predominantly due to the fact that as a result of COVID-19, the council is unsure of its budget position in the coming years and the total projected income it will receive,” the memo read.
“Until the council is provided with a degree of certainty in respect of its operational and financial stability, it would be highly irresponsible of me as a public officer to approve the proposed EA and allow it to be put to a vote.”
Other councils have continued or completed EBA negotiations since the pandemic started.
On April 7, a week after Mr Inat sent the memo to staff, elected members rejected Cr Nathan Shanks’ push to halt a review into the renewal of Mr Inat’s contract with a pay rise.
Cr Shanks argued it “could be considered insensitive and ill-advised” and a “bad look” to push forward with the review in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite halting any pay rise for his employees nearly a month ago, Mr Inat only last week advised Mayor Karen Redman that he would not seek a salary boost for a year.
He and other executives are, however, entitled to pay rises in line with CPI.
In a statement, Mr Inat said the council was “progressing” with the EBA and pay rises had been “agreed, in principle at this time, to be held over until the COVID-19 crisis has passed”.
The Australian Services Union (ASU) has since taken the matter to the South Australian Employment Tribunal.
A meeting between the union and council is planned for Thursday.
Mr Inat last year wrote a confidential 21-page report to his council’s chief executive officer performance panel recommending he receive a five-year contract extension, a 1.4 per cent pay rise and private use of a 4WD.
ASU organiser Matt Osborn has been contacted for comment.