By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
LOCAL cricket matches are under threat for at least this weekend with Greater Dandenong Council workers extending their work bans to cricket turf pitches.
Curators and groundsmen yesterday vowed to join the four-week-old work bans that have resulted in rubbish-strewn main streets and uncut park lawns in Dandenong and Springvale.
At a rally of about 200 staff outside the council’s Dandenong offices yesterday afternoon, workers were told by Australian Services Union to ‘‘hold the line’’ and vote down the council’s 3.5 per cent pay offer.
‘‘The ASU is running a ‘No’ vote campaign,’’ ASU organiser James Weissmann said.
‘‘If the council are not prepared to negotiate, the industrial action will go on as planned.’’
ASU assistant secretary Richard Duffy said the ‘‘turf crew’’ ban on tending cricket pitches would close down turf cricket across the municipality.
It threatens Dandenong Cricket Club’s first home fixture at Shepley Oval this Saturday.
Mr Duffy said the ban also jeorpardised turf matches in the Dandenong and District Cricket Association. More than 70 per cent of venues had turf pitches.
‘‘The pitches won’t be fit to play on,’’ Mr Duffy said.
He said ASU members would not allow council-hired contractors to tend the pitches in the meantime.
The ASU has vowed the bans will continue for at least two more weeks, unless the council improves its pay offer.
Workers are holding out for 4 per cent wage rises and free parking at the under-construction council offices at central Dandenong. They vote on the council’s pay offer by postal ballot from October 17-23.
The ASU has vowed to continue the work bans up until at least the ballot result.
With about 30 per cent of the council’s staff in the ASU, assistant secretary Richard Duffy was counting on a strong non-union ‘No’ vote.
‘‘There’s fantastic community support for what we are doing,’’ he told protesters.
‘‘Stay strong, stay tough and we will win this fight.’’
He disputed the council’s claims that its pay offer would put its staff in the ‘‘top third of a wide group of Melbourne metropolitan councils’’.
‘‘We’ve compared your pay to councils in the whole state. Some councils pay at least $5000 more in some pay bands.’’
He told the crowd that Greater Dandenong chief executive John Bennie had a 5 per cent pay rise last year, making him one of the highest-paid council chief executives in the state at $350,000 a year.
Protesters held placards such as ‘‘City of Opportunity? Not for staff!’’, ‘‘Not happy John’’ and ‘‘City of Great Disappointment’’.
A chant of ‘‘Bennie sucks’’ ended the rally.
Mr Weismann said ASU members would continue to monitor the main streets ‘‘24 hours, seven days a week’’ to ensure council-hired contractors didn’t clean up the mounting piles of trash.
‘‘There’s been no further attempt to use contractors since we caught some [last Thursday].
‘‘I’ve been keeping an eye on it and involved accredited OHS reps and a public health officer — there’s no health and safety risks.’’
