Entitlements for the chop at City of Gold Coast!

The Services Union held further Certified Agreement (CA) discussions with City of Gold Coast yesterday. Per our request at the previous meeting, the City Representative Team (CRT) took us through a presentation on its intentions regarding its proposed removal of all Local Area Agreements (LAAs).

While we analyse the presentation’s contents prior to the next meeting, we can confidently say that the CRT’s approach is just not right. In nearly every case, the City is proposing to buy off all current LAA entitlements with an up-front lump sum. And while a quick sugar-hit cash injection may be attractive in the current economic climate, the reality is that once it’s taxed and spent and you’re back on the current CA base rates, you’re still at the bottom of the pile in terms of Local Government pay (see table below). The 11% over three years (with no back-pay) the City is offering certainly doesn’t address this in any meaningful way.



We’ll be tabling the claims you’ve endorsed when we meet with the City again on 31 October. If you’re covered by an LAA, we’ll be in touch before then to discuss exactly what the City has in mind for your work group’s entitlements.

The bottom line is that while the City clearly wants to reduce its wages bill, we’re interested in making a deal where everyone benefits and no-one is left behind. If you work with someone who is not yet a member of your union, there’s never been a better time to ask them to join .