Nearly one in two overworked native authorities staff in South Australia say they’ve skilled bullying at work in a damning new survey that’s uncovered a problematic work tradition.
In a survey of 385 native authorities staff, together with social staff, librarians and neighborhood staff, the Australian Services Union (ASU) discovered 4 in 10 staff had been personally subjected to bullying of their workplaces, with solely 7.5 per cent of respondents happy with the way it was resolved.
Forty-five per cent additionally stated they’d witnessed bullying at work.
ASU South Australia and Northern Territory Branch assistant secretary Scott Cowen stated the survey was “really needed” and revealed the extent of bullying rampant within the business.
“We suspected anecdotally there were some issues around jobs being replaced by short-term contracts and members working in government having to do more with less, but we weren’t as certain of the figures around bullying,” Mr Cowen stated.
“It’s really unacceptable. No worker should be putting up with that at work.”
He stated the employees surveyed included individuals who ran libraries and neighborhood centres whom among the most “needy people in society rely upon”.
“We’re talking about social workers and community centres where there’s a huge range of services for families and children,” he stated.
“It also comes right through to planning things for parks, gardens, your waste services and all the regulatory services as well.
“Without local government providing these services, people wouldn’t have safe streets to walk down on.”
Local authorities staff have been additionally requested about their workload, with 84 per cent of staff
agreeing that their workloads had elevated within the final three years and 50 per cent saying it had “considerably increased”.
Sixty-nine per cent of respondents additionally stated they labored via their lunch and tea breaks, and 15 per cent stated they continuously have been required to answer work-related issues outdoors hours.
ASU SA and NT Branch secretary Abbie Spencer urged native governments to take motion.
“This survey shows very clearly that bullying is a significant issue in local government workplaces and is part of an overall culture problem that is inevitably driving staff away,” she stated.
“It is deeply worrying that so many workers are feeling disillusioned in management and so unstable about contract renewals that they are turning a blind eye to bullying and unfair conditions at work.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
