Scrooge not just fiction at Port Adelaide Enfield Council Libraries

Australian Services Union members working in Port Adelaide Enfield Council's five libraries are being forced to work Christmas day or take annual leave as their council administration exploits a loophole in their Award. Staff members have been rostered on to work 3 hour shifts on Christmas day despite the fact that the Libraries are officially closed.

Scrooge

Instead of choosing to pay its workers their regular pay for Christmas Day, Council has directed them to either come to work and perform tasks like stacking shelves or use their time-off-in-lieu or annual leave. This means that workers either have to work Christmas Day despite their libraries being closed or lose their annual leave.

As many ASU members know, working seven days a week means a constant battle to balance work and family. Many of the library workers at Port Adelaide Enfield Council are casual and part-time staff who rely on the penalties they receive for weekend work to make ends meet week to week; often child-care and other family arrangements are difficult for them. This seems to mean nothing to the Council hierarchy who are intent on making Christmas work time not family time.

ASU South Australian Branch Assistant Secretary Katrine Hildyard says of this dispute:

"Library workers do not receive huge wages. Rather than have technical arguments about bare minimum Award provisions Port Adelaide Enfield Council should do the right thing by these hard working people.

"At Christmas working families particularly those who rely on shift penalties need support from their employers to balance work and family. Christmas Day is recognised as one of the most important times for families. Forcing staff to work on unnecessary tasks or lose their leave is simply disrespectful and not in the spirit of Christmas.

ASU members urge Port Adelaide Council to overturn their harsh decision on this matter."

How you can help
You can help our ASU members by urging Port Adelaide Enfield Council to overturn their harsh decision. All you need to do is:

Ring Port Adelaide Enfield Council HR Manager Mick Strawbridge or Acting CEO Malcolm Herrmann on (08) 8405 6600 and let them know that you support library staff.
Email Port Adelaide Enfield Council HR Manager Mick Strawbridge mstrawbr@portenf.sa.gov.au or Acting CEO Malcolm Herrmann mherrma@portenf.sa.gov.au and let them know that you support library staff and want them to do the right thing.
If you would like to know more about the dispute check out the article from Page 2 of today's The Australian.