Call for investigation into Gawler Council bullying claims

Cr Ian Tooley has lodged a motion for Gawler’s meeting on Tuesday, requesting an “immediate” investigation into the “very really serious allegations”.

A modern union survey identified employees felt “worthless”, “neglected”, “disrespected”, “degraded”, “intimidated” and “pushed up in opposition to a wall” by Mr Inat – and a number of workers mentioned they felt bullied by him.

He has denied the allegations and dismissed the survey as a “union ploy” that could have been affected by folks exterior the council.

In an e mail to Mayor Karen Redman and Gawler executives, Cr Tooley mentioned the council experienced a “responsibility and a duty” to look into the allegations in opposition to Mr Inat.

“If the allegations are identified to be untrue or unsubstantiated, then we owe it to (Mr) Inat to operate such allegations to ground and to aid in exonerating him and clearing his identify,” Cr Tooley wrote.

“If the allegations are identified to be genuine, then (Mr) Inat ought to be held to account.”

He mentioned it would be a “dereliction of duty” by the council to not look into the claims, and “deny … employees their appropriate to be heard”.

The allegations surfaced in a modern Australian Expert services Union survey about protracted pay out negotiations.

Several employees mentioned they no longer needed to do the job at Gawler Council.

Personnel very last week turned down Mr Inat’s pay out offer you – for the third time – of a backdated two for every cent pay out increase in trade for a pay out freeze this fiscal calendar year and the introduction of a “stand-down clause” that would make it possible for Mr Inat to ship employees household with out do the job.

In the meantime, the council has ongoing with a authorized struggle to reduce the release of a report authored by Mr Inat into why he need to be provided a pay out increase and contract extension – irrespective of it acquiring been leaked.

Ms Redman mentioned she experienced spoken to Mr Inat about the allegations and he experienced denied them.

She mentioned Gawler Council experienced “clear policies placing expectations for employees perform, along with a very clear course of action for earning a complaint”.

“This is the course of action I use if I get a complaint and I would motivate other individuals to do the exact same,” she mentioned.

Mr Inat declined to remark.

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