Fair Work Commission to rule on Geelong council’s care consultation

While Thursday’s confidential Geelong council meeting looks set to proceed, there’s much movement behind the scenes, including a Fair Work Commission hearing and a push to have the debate held in public.

It remains unclear whether the City of Greater Geelong will continue to provide in-home aged care services.

Geelong council’s aged care workers maintain they were “blindsided” by a recommendation that City Hall cease providing the service, as a hastily convened hearing before Australia’s industrial umpire is confirmed.

The Fair Work Commission will hear from Australian Services Union and City of Greater Geelong lawyers Tuesday morning after an urgent application claimed council had breached its obligations.

The union believes council failed to conduct appropriate consultation with approximately 300 affected staff and is fighting for Thursday’s meeting, where councillors will vote on a recommendation to stop providing in-home care services, to be postponed.

An FWC spokesman could not say whether a result would emerge during the two-hour conference.

A union-organised rally will be held at Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct later on Tuesday “to show council that this community will not accept these savage cuts lying down”.

“The council has given affected workers just five business days to understand the proposal and provide feedback,” ASU state secretary Tash Wark said.

“This is not the ‘bona fide opportunity to influence decision makers’ that the council enterprise agreement requires.”

Australian Services Union state secretary Tash Wark. Picture: Supplied.

One worker, who asked not to be named over fears of management blowback, said while “hints had been dropped” about a potential exit, workers were repeatedly told it was “business as usual” at recent team meetings.

“We’ve been treated really, really poorly … called to a meeting with very little notice, blindsided,” they said.

Chief executive Ali Wastie said council had complied with the agreement and supported employees.

“We have been actively engaging with our people regarding what the (aged care) reforms mean for them,” she said.

Less than a quarter of Victoria’s 79 local councils still provide in-home care after federal government reforms introduced following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety led to a mass exodus.

The recommendation to go before councillors on Thursday night follows a report from external consultants who, according to Ms Wastie, specialise in council-operated aged care services.

Council declined to name the consultants or provide a copy of their report due to its “sensitive nature”.

Following the lead of other councils, Ms Wastie confirmed the meeting would be confidential because commercial matters would be discussed.

City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie. Picture: David Crosling.

All 11 councillors were asked whether they believed the meeting should be closed to the public and just four – Eddy Kontelj, Melissa Cadwell, Elise Wilkinson and Emma Sinclair – responded.

“I believe the council should always meet and decide matters in public, so that residents and the media can observe, scrutinise and understand all decisions made by their elected councillors,” Ms Cadwell said.

“Where reports to council contain some sensitive information, I’m OK with that information being made confidential, but the decisions made on the basis of that information should always be made in public.”

Corio ward councillor Anthony Aitken won’t participate due to a conflict of interest, while Trent Sullivan’s attendance is uncertain.

Mr Sullivan, who was contacted for comment, is believed to be on leave until April 28.

Corangamite MP Libby Coker has been personally lobbying councillors to vote against the recommendation.

Originally published as Fair Work Commission to rule on Geelong council’s care consultation