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Local Government

29 October 2012 By

The Australian Services Union is the largest local government union in Australia. The local government division is the largest industry in the Australian Services Union, making up about half of the Union's membership.

Our local government members are represented by the ASU Branches throughout the country. Most of the industrial activities are conducted at the Branch level. All local government awards are state-based and many councils have their own enterprise agreements of which the ASU is a party.

 

 

Following is a summary of the ASU's coverage in this sector. It is not exhaustive, so if you do not see your position or employer listed, you may still be eligible for ASU membership. Feel free to make an inquiry.

Position Titles Major employers
  • librarians
  • garbage collectors
  • child carers
  • gardeners
  • truck drivers
  • electricians
  • administrative & clerical staff
  • supervisors & senior executive officers
  • home carers & meals on wheels
  • health & building inspectors and support staff
  • rangers
  • plant operators
  • beach lifeguards
  • cemetery workers
  • para-professionals and professionals
  • in fact, most employees of local government
All urban, regional and rural councils, including shires, cities and county councils. Also statutory authorities, trust boards and commissions, eg. state roads authorities, cemetery trusts, etc.

The National Local Government Division meets regularly and consists of officials from all ASU local government Branches and is convened by the National Office.

These meetings tend to focus upon industry trends or matters of national importance, such as outsourcing, municipal mergers, training, road funding, enterprise clauses etc. These meetings enable information and ideas to be disseminated across the Union.

National meetings are critical in order to follow national contractors who, unlike councils, do not confine their activities to one State.

Local government, with its presence across the length and breadth of Australia, is ideally placed to provide employment initiatives for Indigenous Australians. To find out more about work in this area, please see: National Local Government Indigenous Employment.

Although local government has been a creature of state legislation, many matters confronting employees are the same across the country. In recent years, for example, ASU members have been threatened by outsourcing of local government functions.

Therefore, local government is a national industry, faced as it is by the increasingly national agendas of governments and trade, and the diminishing role of geographical borders, that do not stop roads, telecommunications, electricity and trade.