BY MAJELLA MCGRATH
Cessnock Council is demanding tech giant Meta remove a Facebook video of a council worker being verbally attacked while on the job.
Last week, 44-year-old Western Sydney man Gregory Tait allegedly filmed an heated interaction with a Cessnock Council worker and posted it on his social media.
In the video, Tait approaches a worker mowing grass and picking up rubbish along Wine Country Drive at Nulkaba and proceeds to verbally abuse him.
Council said the videos are still circulating online, despite reportedly going against Meta's guidelines.
Tait was recently convicted for spouting violent death threats to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the day after the Bondi Beach Terror Attack.
On Friday October 16, he faced Paramatta Local Court, where he was handed a recognisance sentence and ordered to pay $1000.
Tait has posted a series of concerning videos on his Facebook page being seen to verbally abuse a number of councils across the state, including Cessnock Council.
The United Services Union (USU) and Cessnock Council have condemned Meta's failure to promptly remove videos, demanding the company take immediate action to protect workers from further online abuse.
Mayor Daniel Watton says he's fed up with the way council staff are treated and there is no excuse for people, especially those completing a job, to be abused.
"We are doing everything we can to communicate with Meta, our requests are in line with their standards," he said.
"So we expect this to be taken down swiftly."
USU general secretary Graeme Kelly said workers safety and wellbeing must come before a social media company's willingness to host abusive content.
"Meta has been asked to remove these videos," he said.
"It's failure to act is unacceptable.
"A company with Meta's resources should be capable of responding promptly when workers are being targeted on its platform."
Mr Kelly said the attacks reinforce the urgent need for stronger legislative protections for council employees providing services to the public.
There is now a call for the NSW Government to make legislation to protect council workers and other service workers a priority.
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| Gregory Tait leaving Parramatta Local Court on Friday. Picture: Nine News/Sam Mooy |
