Port Adelaide Enfield Council trying to cut staff pay

The Port Adelaide Enfield Council is trying to push through a new wages deal that will mean some staff will be worse off than workers in every other Council in South Australia.

Australian Services Union Secretary Katrine Hildyard says the pay offer is a wholesale attack on about two hundred staff doing some of the most important work in local communities.

"These planned cuts will hit librarians, the Council's customer service workers who deal with the public, those working in Neighbourhood Houses and community centres as well as planners and inspectors."

"We have been trying to negotiate a pay increase for these staff for a year."

"This isn't just a case of not offering a decent pay rise to keep up with the rising cost of living, it's about removing conditions of work which have been in place for these staff for decades."

"The deal the Council has put on the table will reduce allowances, cut working hours that attract penalty rates, will put existing staff on probationary periods and will attack job security."

"It would mean a community centre worker at Port Adelaide Enfield will earn less than community centre workers doing the same work in other council neighbourhood houses around the State."

"I'm sure the ratepayers of Port Adelaide Enfield will see this for what is - an attack on their services which won't save them one dollar on their rates."

"We are calling on Mayor Gary Johanson to step in and put an end to this Work Choices style of industrial negotiation.

"His own staff are fearful of losing their long fought for wages and conditions of work and want the Council to sit down and properly negotiate with staff."