Two staff from the Queensland office of Printing Industries have been let go in a move printers have slammed as 'reckless and foolish.' Their departure is in line with the wholesale turnover of personnel that has taken place in the other states.
Popular Queensland member services manager Mel Ireland last week learned that her contract would not be reviewed while member services support person, Rebecca Sutherland, had her contract terminated, effective immediately.
“I now feel like a member with no support…as such I am considering resigning from the PIAA,” wrote a Sunshine Coast-based 30-year member of Printing Industries, in a protest letter to the PIAA board.
The changes in the Queensland office are the latest in a sea change of PIAA staff since the arrival last year of new CEO Jason Allen – who shocked the industry early in January by announcing his own resignation less than six months after taking the job.
Queensland lost its only PIAA board member last month when former president Susan Heaney announced she was also leaving.
In his letter, the veteran Sunshine Coast printer said the termination of these “especially high performing individuals is reckless and even foolish as it weakens representation of the industry and removes much needed interface between members and the industry body. I would go so far to say that Mel Ireland has in her short tenure in her position done more for the members and the printing industry in the last two years than has happened in quite some time.
“We have no representation from Queensland on your board currently, so I am addressing this to the board,” he wrote. “This is a member organisation, designed to benefit members and give members services and access to information they may otherwise not have or be able to attain. I am not at all confident in the current management structure and this continued consolidation that appears to be occurring. I have no confidence in the board, or in the management team the board has appointed.”
PIAA members have raised the possibility of calling a Special General Meeting (SPG) of the association in order to express their dissatisfaction with the way the association is being run. According to the PIAA constitution, an SPG requires 50 member signatures in order to take place.
“I have two separate print business memberships and would put my two memberships to the required number of 50,” said Wayne McKay, director of Worldwide Printing Solutions. “The two Queensland employees that have had their employment terminated are the best we have had in years. When are these guys going to realize that this association is owned by the members?”
LIA Queensland president Gavin Gyles said, ‘It’s hard to understand why the PIAA would release such valuable, hardworking and industry passionate people from the Queensland branch – they had just given us all hope that the PIAA were worth it. As LIA Queensland President, I am just amazed that the work Mel has put in has not been recognised by the PIAA. Instead the PIAA dismisses one of it’s best assets? Seems crazy to me.”
State manager for PIAA Queensland, Robert Hall-Bowman, said he was aware of "discontent out there.” However he was unable to confirm the number of staff at the Brisbane offices due to the confidentiality clause in his employment contract.
Sandrine Dart, general manager marketing and communication, would not comment on the latest downsizing when contacted by Print21 in Sydney. Printing Industries CEO Jason Allen is out of the country and unavailable for comment.