PUBLIC NOTICE

PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES UNION RANK AND FILE REFORM TEAM

Members Angry over Union incompetence on Government Policy

I am sure you are aware that the Municipal Employees Union, New South Wales Branch attempted to arrange a mass rally, on Thursday 16 September 1999.

This was in protest at the Carr Labor Governments austerity measures. E.g.: The Competition Policy and the decision of the Road and Traffic Authority, to ensure prudent management of public monies, funds that are entrusted to it, to ensure "Best Value" for the citizens of New South Wales.

One of these measures is the tendering out of contracts, which up until recent times have funded, what some would refer to as sheltered workshops, Tar patching crews who wander round the country roads trying to catch potholes.

You will be aware that these crews have been unaccountable to anyone for many years, as no one ever does an audit on potholes to see if the same one gets filled in day after day just to ensure employment in a country town. There are much more productive ways of providing a livelihood for our rural citizens, and increasing wealth for disadvantaged areas.

Hastings Shire Council is a typical area, which could use the increased savings to attract more tourists.

To return to the Municipal Employees Union Debacle, this rally was organized to coincide with the end the Union State Conference, and the delegates at the Conference would attend this Rally as part of the Conference, I will remind you at this point these delegates are being paid, shed and fed over this period.

The Conference was held at the Sutherland Trade Union Club, all expenses paid for by the members, including "alcohol".

Half the delegates disappeared between the Conference venue and the start of the Rally, Hide Park, and Sydney.

Notices had gone out to all Union Delegates in the Metropolitan Area, which has approx. 6000 members.

Most Notices went into the garbage bins, as this Union has lost the confidence of its members and it is losing members at an astronomical rate.

The result being:

Only 300 local council workers employed from around the state rallied on State Parliament on Thursday to protest the Carr government's competitive tendering of council work, include road maintenance. The workers have called on the Carr Government to conduct a social impact study into the effects of competitive tendering on rural communities across the State.

(These studies are to numerous to mention and all indicate the same result, more productivity is required, and market testing is the fair way to do it.)

It must have been disappointing (shattered egos) to the Union Leadership, as all they could rally were about one half of the delegates attending their Annual Conference, a conference for which they were being paid to attend.

What happened to the other half of the delegates, perhaps they were all very dry from the gabfest, and had gone to slake their thirst, perhaps they got lost, or maybe they were just a little tired from all the talking.

The rest were made up of the rent-a -crowd from the camp followers of the trade union movement.

Union members in the Metropolitan area have accepted that change is inevitable and while they have not embraced the ideology of Competitive Tendering, they have agreed to work together with local councils to try and accommodate what is best for all the stake holders.

Metropolitan members boycotted this "rally"/

There are about 20 000 members left in this fast shrinking union, and if this pathetic display of petulance, by a incompetent, belligerent, and arrogant Union Hierarchy was anything to go by, it will soon disappear into that great chasm with all the other dinosaurs.

Perhaps this is the last resort, as the attempted intimidation of Union members and councils certainly has not succeeded.

We can assure you that there is no support for disgruntled, petulant, disruptive bludgers from the members in the Metropolitan area.

The pathetic failure of this "RALLY" validates this statement. : Release Ends

17/09/1999

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