Cash Bonus for Bilingual Workers

Date: 13 March 2000

Council workers who use community languages as part of their work could receive a $13 per week bonus if a case in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission is successful.

The Municipal Employees' Union is making the application to recognise the value bilingual workers bring to their organisations.

MEU legal officers Ben Kruse says that while the payment was not large it was an important symbol on the value of a diverse workforce.

"We've got a lot of librarians, customer service operators and council workers who use community language skills regularly in employment, but local government salary system doesn't reqard these skills," Kruse says..

Under State government regulations all Councils must have social plans in operation that require Councils to target service delivery to groups from Non English Speaking Backgrounds.

"This should be a catalyst for all councils to look at the skills existing staff have to improve their services," Kruse says.

The case is scheduled to open before Justice Monica Schmidt today and will run for four days.

For further information

Contact:	Ben Kruse
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	0419 623984
WWW:	http://meu.labor.net.au/

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