Local government workers provide vital frontline services to the community. But years of underfunding and cost shifting by the state and federal governments, together with rate capping, have hit councils hard.  Many will not have enough income in the future to provide the services needed and expected by the community.

At some councils, this has already resulted in contracting out; service cuts; record low pay increases; increased use of agency, temporary and casual staff; and vacant jobs going unfilled.

Some workers prop up services by working unpaid overtime or are stressed because they can’t deliver the kind of service they know the community needs because of a lack of funding .

Under funding or contracting out services can compromise worker safety – they lead to poorly trained staff and shortcuts to save money.

We want better funding for local government to make sure that:

1. Communities get the services they rely on every day and council workers can deliver high quality services that they can be proud of.
2. Council workers are paid for all hours they work and that there is not an artificial cap on wages and conditions in enterprise bargaining.
3. Services are provided directly by council workers in permanent, secure jobs.
4. Health and safety of workers and the community is not compromised by under funding.

Tell us your story about overwork, poor services, labour hire or failing council infrastructure