ANGRY unionists protested outside Whittlesea council offices last week over alleged management harassment of a fellow worker.
About 100 Australian Services Union members rallied in two shifts to match their lunch breaks after council management allegedly threatened to dock their pay four hours if they protested during work time.
Michelle Jackson, a lead union organiser, said the workers showed their support for a colleague and union delegate who it was alleged had been harassed and threatened with the sack.
Ms Jackson accused council management of:
■ Hiring someone to follow the man while he was on a day of annual leave, and informing them of his movements between 7.45am and 6.30pm of that day.
■ As part of a warning, requiring the worker to attend psychotherapy and threatening disciplinary action if he did not attend.
■ Accessing his work email account without his knowledge.
Northern Weekly provided the council with these allegations but it refused to comment, saying the case was before Fair Work Australia.
The protest rally was held last Wednesday, with a Fair Work hearing scheduled the next day. The outcome of the hearing was not known at the time of going to press.
John Francis, the council’s acting chief executive officer, said comments before the hearing would be “inappropriate”.
Ms Jackson said the alleged harassment started after the delegate took bullying complaints of other members to management. “Management have given warnings over allegations regarding the worker but have refused to produce any evidence against him. Council are hell-bent on sacking our delegate,” she said.
