Council down the line

CASEY council has refused to comment on individual staffing matters following claims it told school crossing supervisor Sue Rowlands it wouldn’t grant her leave to visit her terminally ill brother in law.
CEO Mike Tyler said school crossing supervisors took on their position knowing that they must be available to work throughout the school terms and have their holidays during the school holidays.
He said on occasions leave without pay may be granted depending on circumstances.
“However, over the winter period, due to increased absences generally resulting from seasonal illness, the council needs to balance both the needs of the school crossing supervisors and the needs of the community as the council cannot safely provide the school crossing service without its school crossing supervisors,” he said.
“Therefore, additional periods of leave cannot be granted to crossing supervisors during the winter period.”
The City of Casey oversees the largest school crossing program in Victoria with more than 160 crossings and 200 school crossing supervisors.