Jobs go in City of Canning restructure

STAGE one of the City of Canning’s restructure is complete, with about $2.4 million in savings achieved for the 2017-18 financial year.

Councillors agreed to a City organisational restructure at a special council meeting on January 31.

City chief executive Arthur Kyron told the Canning Times in February the existing structure of middle management within the City – made up of 49 co-ordinators, 25 managers and five directors – was costing ratepayers $10.29 million a year and the City employed 1200 employees.

The City now has three directors, 14 executive managers and 18 managers and a staff of 992, including 103 in care services.

Mr Kyron said the organisation restructure was held to deliver cost savings for ratepayers and improve the services the City provided to the community.

“The changes are designed to make the City’s day-to-day operations more dynamic and flexible, capable of faster delivery of projects for the benefit of the community,” he said.

According to information supplied to the Canning Times by the City, 38 staff have been retrenched or had not had contracts renewed since the restructure began in November last year.

Of this number, 19 staff were retrenched, 11 did not have their contracts renewed and were either no longer employed or were to finish work later this year, and eight people were made redundant in the care service area.

While some roles have been axed, Mr Kyron said 15 new positions had been created. Four staff whose positions were abolished were redeployed into other positions and three staff from care services had also been redeployed.

Mr Kyron said more changes to staffing levels were planned.

The City had involved the union in the process and there had been no litigation as a result of the restructure.

“Phase two of the restructure will include a review of the implications of the changes to the aged care services that the City is currently transitioning to Silver Chain,” Mr Kyron said.

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