Union concerned mergers may result in outsourcing of jobs

Mr Wood said the union was concerned about the potential scale of redundancies in local government, and more jobs could go if larger councils opted to privatise services.

‘We’ve seen security companies take the duties of rangers in other states and we’ve seen sanitation gone to companies like Cleanaway,’ Mr Wood said.

‘Recently there have been clerical companies that have expressed interest in taking over the administrative duties of councils.’

Local Government Minister Tony Simpson said staff had guaranteed employment of two years after the councils are created from July 1, 2015.

However, Mr Wood said if the State Government changed legislation currently protecting contracted staff, redundancies could be made sooner.

‘(Premier Colin) Barnett has given no indication he would change (the legislation), but he also gave no indication he would move to amalgamate councils,’ Mr Wood said.

‘If things stay the way they are now, our members won’t be losing their jobs until 2017.’

WA Local Government Association president Troy Pickard said redundancies would mainly effect councils’ senior management.