Council staff pay negotiations and industrial action
Background
An Enterprise Bargaining Agreement is an agreement between the Council, unions and Council staff setting out pay and employment conditions over a period of time.
Council management has been negotiating with the seven unions representing Council staff since November last year on a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.
Council is required by law to negotiate with the unions despite the agreement impacting all Council staff – both union members and non-members.
To date, no resolution has been reached and the expiry of the previous three-year agreement on 15 March this year means union members now have the opportunity to take protected industrial action.
What has Council management offered?
Council has offered a 14 per cent pay rise over three years and improved conditions to help ease the cost-of-living pressures on employees.
The lowest increase staff would receive would be $75 a week in the first year, $55 a week in the second year, and $55 a week in the third year.
The daily on-call allowance would be increased from $50 to $70, and parental leave for the primary carer would be increased from four weeks to 12 weeks, among a range of other improved conditions.
Council management believes this offer provides fair and reasonable pay and conditions for staff while balancing the need to deliver affordable services to the community.
What do unions want?
The seven unions representing Council staff have rejected Council management’s offer, but do not have a combined position on what they want.
One union initially sought a 30 per cent pay rise over three years and another wants a $100 a week increase on top of the percentage increases offered by Council management.
Another union wants a $1 an-hour increase plus 15 per cent over three years.
The unions also rejected a request to put Council’s offer to a vote of all staff—both union members and non-members.
What industrial action could occur and what will this mean for Council services?
Unions have given notice that protected industrial action, such as strikes and work bans, could last anywhere from an hour to indefinitely.
Council’s Hervey Bay and Maryborough waste facilities were closed from 1pm on Friday 19 April 2024 due to industrial action, reopening the following morning.
While Council is doing everything it can to minimise the impact on the community, there will likely be more impacts on community services in the coming weeks if further industrial action occurs.
The community may get little or no notice of what and how services will be affected due to the unpredictable and rolling nature of the industrial action proposed by the various unions.
What is the next step?
Council management respects the right of workers to take protected industrial action, and has continued to attempt to negotiate in good faith with the unions.
As no agreement has been reached, Council management is seeking the assistance of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to help create a new certified agreement.
Council management is eager for this issue to be resolved as soon as possible for the benefit of Council staff and the community.