About 60 members of Armidale Regional Council's outdoor staff attended a meeting yesterday that unanimously endorsed a vote of no confidence in the council's CEO, Susan Law and the general managers.
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"The meeting we had this morning was a regular union meeting. With all the media attention at the moment, members had asked to add to the agenda a discussion regarding what's been going on in the media about the CEO," United Services Union Organiser Mark Hughes said yesterday.
"There is no interaction between councillors and the employees of council other than what is prescribed in council procedures."
Armidale Regional Council CEO Susan Law has hit back, pointing out that 60 employees was not even 20 per cent of the staff, meaning any outcome could not have been "unanimous".
"A chief executive and executive who demand high standards of behaviour and service, and are prepared to manage to those standards, are always going to get negative responses from people who are not prepared, or have not been behaving to those standards in the past," Mrs Law said.
"Some staff have told me they walked away rather than respond to the hectoring of Mr Hughes."
Mr Hughes said the vote occurred during a meeting at the Armidale depot this morning to discuss recent media coverage regarding significant conflicts within council management.
USU members were asked whether they were supportive of the CEO and the 10 general managers.
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A vote of no confidence in the CEO and the general managers was then proposed, which was unanimously endorsed by all present.
"There is a complete lack of confidence in the current management of Armidale Regional Council," Mr Hughes said. "Council employees are significantly concerned by the continual waste of ratepayers' money by the management team.
"The meeting highlighted a significant loss of morale."
