LABOR PLEDGES TO PROTECT LOCAL JOBS AND SERVICES FROM INDEPENDENT PARTY CUTS
A pledged commitment to keeping Council jobs local, supporting more apprenticeships, and opposing privatisation has been formally endorsed by Newcastle Labor Candidates ahead of the Local Government Election on 4 December.
Newcastle Labor candidates joined United Services Union Newcastle Organiser Luke Hutchinson outside the Newcastle Library today to sign the union pledge as part of an ongoing commitment to protect local jobs and fight against service cuts for the community.
Labor Candidates have strongly endorsed the pledge and committed to:
Keep local Council jobs local
Support Council training and apprenticeships
Maintain core Council services using Council labour
Reject the misuse of labour hire contractors and casual employees
Oppose outsourcing and privatisation of Council services
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, who has maintained a strong relationship with the United Services Union, said that Labor has long been committed to ensuring that City of Newcastle workers have great working conditions, pay and workplace protections.
"I'm proud to have worked closely with the United Services Union throughout my time as both a Ward Councillor and as Lord Mayor, to ensure that our workers have some of the best conditions in local government across our entire state," said the Lord Mayor.
"I don't subscribe to the conservative mantra of cutting jobs and slashing services to balance a budget sheet. I never have, and I never would."
"I was appalled when previous Council management, supported by conservative Newcastle Independent Party Councillors, chose to slash jobs and cut services to address budget issues in the past."
"Our budget has returned to sustainability and our works program has doubled through the hard work and tough decisions of progressive Councillors, especially our Newcastle Labor Team. We are all passionate about protecting hard-earned workplace rights, conditions and pay.”
“Over the last term of Council, Labor has ensured a fair enterprise agreement for our hardworking staff, created an Apprentice, Traineeship and Graduate program and added local content clauses and workplace fairness provisions to our procurement policy. We were also one of the first Council’s to adopt the COVID Splinter Award which protected conditions when the Commonwealth refused local government access to JobKeeper support.”
Newcastle Labor Campaign Spokesperson, Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen, said that voters know it is only Newcastle Labor who will ensure that City of Newcastle workers are protected from conservative cuts and service slashing, which has been foreshadowed by John Church and the Newcastle Independents Party.
"Recent history shows us that the Newcastle Independents Party and Liberals will almost certainly pursue job cuts and slash the local services our community rely upon if they are elected on 4 December," the Deputy Lord Mayor said.
"The Newcastle Independents Party and Liberals have absolutely no credibility when it comes to protecting local jobs and services. When they last had the chance, they tried to privatise and then sell off Beresfield Pool, and they voted against City of Newcastle's Community and Economic Resilience package, as well as the decision to bring forward significant capital works projects to protect jobs and stimulate the economy during the COVID lockdowns."
"More recently, John Church and the Newcastle Independents Party told Council that they’d share their plan to cut jobs and services “after the election” on 4 December.”
“The Newcastle Labor team will always fight against the cuts to jobs and services proposed by John Church and the Newcastle Independents Party.”