Workers Have No Confidence in General Manager or Goldenfields Board
The General Manager of the Temora based Goldenfields Water County Council has resigned. In a statement, Goldenfields Board Chairman, Peter Speirs, said Andrew Grant has sought and been granted a medical retirement, effective from January 22.
The county council has water supply functions within the Local Government Areas of Bland, Coolamon, Cootamundra, Harden, Junee, Temora, Young and part of Narrandera in the New South Wales Riverina.
Mr Speirs said Mr Grant will not be returning to work and Phillip Rudd will continue to act in the General Manager’s role. The statement said Goldenfields does not agree with ‘motions’ recently passed, and hopes they will be withdrawn ‘in the interest of moving forward.’ Mr Speirs said Mr Rudd has also spoken with the employees’ union and negotiations are underway in relation to the ‘motions’.
He said there is also hope the current proceedings in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) will soon end. Mr Grant has been accused of intimidating and harassing staff, and also requesting a staff member move from Cootamundra to Temora, or risk losing their job. Both matters were due before the IRC last month. The statement has thanked staff for calling off threatened industrial action and say negotiations will continue over the next six weeks.
Goldenfields started an organisational restructure this year, which sparked concern from the United Services Union. In October the board voted to endorse the GM’s actions relating to negotiations over the IRC matters. It also agreed to ‘budget another $50,000 for legal costs’. The representatives for each Shire Council on the board include: Temora, Cr. Peter Speirs (GWCC Chairperson) Harden, Cr. Chris Manchester (GWCC Deputy Chairperson) Bland, Cr. Peter Templeton. Coolamon, Cr. David McCann. Cootamundra, Cr. Dennis Palmer. Junee, Cr. Andrew Clinton. Narrandera, Cr. Kevin Morris and Young, Cr. Allan Miller.
Rudi Oppitz from the United Services Union said “Our members held industrial action meeting where a motion of no confidence in the General Manager and the Board was passed. We are very disappointed in the board and don’t believe the board has recognised the depth of the issues. They have provided blanket support for the General Manager and we don’t believe they took sufficient time to look in to the claims being made. Our members are happy and relieved that some of the issues will now be resolved. I believe that many of these board members have been here for too long and its time to clean them out and start with a fresh board. Councils need to look in to who and how they are appointing these representatives.”
