Moreland City Council is set to make a decision at a special council meeting on who will run the Coburg Leisure Complex. Will the council allow the Leisure centre to be run by a private operator with a hostile record towards workers and the community or bring it under council control? Workers fear their recently won EBA is under threat.

Community Assembly from
5.30pm May 22
Coburg Town Hall
Bell St Coburg

• Community Assests for the community
• Bring Coburg Leisure Centre "in-house"

Community members at a public meeting in Brunswick last night (Wed 17 May) unanimously passed a motion urging Moreland City Council to bring a local leisure complex under council management. The complex is currently tendered out to a non-government organisaton. Workers and the union representing them believe that the only way to guarantee wages, conditions and high quality service to the community is direct council control of the facilities.

In the inner northern suburbs of Melbourne workers at council owned but privately run recreation centres earn roughly 25% less than employees at council managed centres for doing exactly the same work.

The leisure industry is notorious for poor conditions and a high-staff turn over. In recent years the Australian Services Union has achieved modest gains in improving conditions. A tender process that sees private companies undercut each other for control over community owned assets however undermines these gains. Logically in a bidding war, wages and services will be cut.

We urge all supporters to attend the Special Council Meeting. We request that you print out and ask the following questions at the meeting. Please take the time to contact the elected Moreland City councillors.

5.30pm May 22
Coburg Town Hall
Bell St Coburg

More info: Motion passed at meeting | Questions to ask councillors | Contact details of local councillors