Industrial disputes & news - 25 September 2024
DHL; Sydney Trains; WA public health; CPB; LIfeblood; ASC; BAE; NSW nurses; Hobart City Council; ACT Doctors; TasNetworks; Ambulance Victoria; CSR; Etex; Asahi; Uni casuals; CFMEU; UWU and many more!
ANMF Vic - Bolton Clarke
ANMF members employed by Bolton Clarke have endorsed a new EBA offer. After two dismal offers, the first with a 0% increase, the second only a 3% increase, the new offer will see nurses and carers get a 12 - 14% wage increase depending on their classification, as well as improvements to shift allowances and on-call allowances. Bolton Clarke has also committed to passing on the Stage 3 Aged Care Work Value wage increases in full. Nurses and carers employed by Bolton Clarke participated in industrial action, including stoppages, for 64 days. The ballot to vote up the agreement will run from Monday 30 September to Thursday 3 October.
UWU - DHL
1200 workers at 23 sites in NSW and Victoria took four hours of strike action on Monday (23/9). Workers have been in negotiations with DHL since March. UWU claims that DHL workers earn below industry standards, and are fighting for wage increases that address the rise in the cost of living. For NSW workers this is 7% annual increase, and in Victoria 10% annual increases both over 3 year agreements. DHL has offered 11% in wage increases over 3 years, falling well short of the union demand. DHL has said it will put its proposed offer to workers for a vote on Monday (30/9). UWU’s National Secretary Tim Kennedy said he expected workers would vote down the agreement. Workers have backed rolling 24 hour strikes for up to 4 days if DHL does not offer a fair deal.
RTBU NSW - Sydney Trains
After 3 days of industrial action, the RTBU negotiated a significant deal with the NSW Government. The deal includes a multi-enterprise agreement for Sydney Trains and NSW Trains; and if the multi-enterprise agreement application fails, the government will legislate to bring Sydney Trains and NSW Trains into one entity. Crucially the deal guarantees the new South-West metro will have a member on every platform and a member on every train (who is qualified and competent to drive the train) on the line forever. The deal also includes an additional allowance embedded in the base rate for workers who complete a Workplace Rights Training Course provided by a union approved provider. This will be worth $1310.60 annually - equal to a 2% pay rise for those who complete the course. Industrial action, aside from uniform, sticker and public statements actions, will be paused while the rest of the agreement is bargained. The RTBU has warned that is bargaining is not “fruitful” they will not hesitate to re-escalate industrial action. The question of wages is yet to be confirmed, with the RTBU asking for a 32% wage increase over 4 years and a 35 hour work week.
HSU WA - Public sector healthcare workers
The HSU is continuing its industrial campaign following two substandard offers from the Cook State Government. Commencing last Wednesday (18/9) until the end of the month, public sector healthcare workers in WA will be starting and finishing work on time, taking paid and unpaid meal breaks, updating their email signatures to support the industrial campaign, and distributing materials to the public, including patients. The last offer from the Cook Government was a 12% wage increase over 3 years, the HSU WA is still aiming for the Public Sector Alliance demand of 12% over 2 years (7% and 5%).
HSU WA - Anaesthetic technicians and medical imaging technologists
In addition to broader health sector industrial action, anaesthetic technicians and medical imaging technologists in WA public hospitals launched industrial action on Friday (20/9). Anaesthetic technicians kicked off the actions with a 4 hour strike on Friday at Rockingham and Armadale Hospitals. Similar stoppages will occur every morning at a different hospital through to 30 September. Medical imaging technologists will hold 1 hour stoppages at the same hospitals. Workers want a 12% wage increase over 2 years, and action on career pathways.
CFMEU QLD - CPB
CPB workers on the Cross River Rail job in Brisbane have marked 10 weeks on strike. Workers are fighting for better safety on site, including a heat policy, as well as job security and decent wages. But the workers aren’t the only ones making records, CPB now have the dubious honour of flooding the job 3 times. The CFMEU shared yesterday that CPB sent an EBA offer to the workforce on Friday, promising a $5000 sign on bonus. But $5000 does not improve safety or conditions on the job, and the agreement does not address key concerns of the CFMEU including a heat policy, or ensuring subcontractors are paid the same as direct hires for doing the same work. Last summer, one worker died and 32 were hospitalised from heat stress. As we head towards another hot summer, time for CPB to listen to workers.
CFMEU - MBA
Media reporting from the CFMEU demonstration held in Melbourne last week quoted ETU Victorian Branch Secretary Troy Gray accusing major construction companies Laing O’Rourke, John Holland and Acciona of trying to take advantage of the CFMEU being under administration to try and “wind back the clock decades” - by wiggling out of EBA clauses. While Denita Wawn of the Master Builders Association claimed builders were not trying to attack workers wages and conditions, she said the MBA had “concerns about restrictive clauses that don’t impact workers’ wages and conditions… these include provisions to funnel money to union funds, restrict the free choice of workers, dictate that workers’ information is handed to unions when they start on-site, and give unions powers to call snap meetings at any time without following proper regulations.” So, being able to hold a union meeting when you need to; training levies; and ensuring that new starters know who their union delegate is? I don’t know about you, but those things certainly sound like hard won conditions to me.
MSAV/VAHPA/Professionals Australia/PSA SA - Lifeblood
Workers at Lifeblood, the blood donation wing of the Red Cross, took industrial action last week. It appears that Lifeblood are trying to amalgamate 5 EBAs which will mean a reduction in conditions for some workers. I don’t have a lot of information about this dispute, but it appears that the unions involved are sticking together to fight back against this. Any Lifeblood workers reading who would like to share more about the dispute - please get in touch!
AMWU SA - ASC & BAE Systems
500 manufacturing workers rallied at the office of the SA Premier’s Department last Thursday (19/9) in relation to their pay disputes. ASC workers provide crucial submarine maintenance, and BAE Systems workers manufacture components of warplanes, warships and missiles. The workers wanted to bring their pay disputes to the attention of governments. ASC workers have been in negotiations since November last year and have been taking industrial action since March. BAE Systems workers have been in negotiations since March, and started industrial action last week.
NSWNMA - Public sector nurses and midwives
Nurse and midwives across NSW took a second 24 hour strike yesterday (24/9) with major rallies in Sydney, Tweed Heads and Albury. Nurses are fighting for a 15% wage increase. The NSWNMA had given the government a deadline of 5pm on Thursday (19/9) to agree to just one of the workers’ claims “as a sign of good faith on future pay and conditions negotiations”. The government failed to do so. The Industrial Relations Commission recommended an interim 3% wage increase while negotiations continued, and for industrial action to cease. The union believes the government to be stubbornly refusing to improve their offer. The Health Minister, Ryan Park, said he is “deeply concerned” about the impact of strike action. Time for Minister Park to show some concern for the nurses and midwives who are the backbone of the health system, and pay up.
CFMMEU - Oaky North
The Oaky North dispute lasted 230 days, but the legal proceedings have lasted even longer. Last week, the Federal Court has dished out $657,105 in penalties to the MEU and officials of the MEU and CFMEU (the dispute happened before the MEU left the CFMMEU). The dispute with mining multinational Glencore occurred in 2017-2018 and centred on concerns from workers about the erosion of their conditions and wanting to ensure “same job, same pay” principles. While workers were striking, Glencore used contractors and employees to perform the work of striking workers - commonly referred to as scabs. Glencore ultimately locked out striking workers. The $657,105 in penalties is due to scabs being called “scabs”, “maggots” and “dogs” as well as Facebook posts and physical signs being made of lists of scabs. Here at Disputes Report, we have one very simple rule: if you don’t want to be called a scab, it’s really simple - don’t scab.
TPAV - Victoria Police
Cops have escalated their industrial action with an indefinite ban on issuing on-the-spot traffic fines. They will also stop doing “voluntary work” leaving the government to pay “full freight” for attendance at major events such as the AFL Grand Final. I am astonished that a “union” allows members to work for free ever!? Following the nurses’ successful EBA claim, police rejected an offer of a 9 day fortnight and 16% pay increase and are now demanding a 24% pay rise over 4 years and the introduction of 8.5 hour shifts. In addition to bans, police are also chalking messages on vehicles… some of which are a little baffling - see below. Hard to believe anyone at this point in time thinks the ALP is doing the CFMEU any favours, and even harder to believe that any other professional grouping would delude themselves that they hold anywhere near the level of respect, trust and admiration nurses do.
ASU Vic-Tas - Hobart City Council
ASU members at Hobart City Council overwhelmingly voted in favour of taking industrial action, However the Council then threatened to lock out workers who participated in industrial action. A really shameful overreach, and one that seems to be happening a fair bit at the moment. The ASU did rescind some of the actions the Council had objected to, but not others. I don’t have details - if you’re a worker at Hobart City Council - let me know! Workers at the Council did take stopwork action in order to participate in a rally in support of striking TasNetworks workers on Monday (23/9). The union has also been organising for a no vote on a proposed EBA put forward by the Council which according to media reports offers “a 3% pay increase in the first 2 years”, an offer which the union has described as “inadequate”
ETU NSW - Essential Energy and Ausgrid
Essential Energy workers at depots in Condobolin, Leeton, Dubbo, Moruya, Buronga, Coffs Harbour, Tamworth, Nambucca Heads, Goulburn, Lismore, Tweed Heads, Kyogle and Forbes and Ausgrid workers from Wallsend, Potts Hill, Beresfield and Salt Ash depots all took protected industrial action yesterday morning (24/9). Workers at both Essential and Ausgrid are fighting for fair pay deals, and need the bosses to start listening to their demands instead of trying to ram through substandard agreements. 93% of workers at Essential Energy voted down the last agreement management put forward - read the room!
ASMOF - Canberra Hospital
Doctors in Canberra’s public hospitals commenced industrial action on Monday (23/9). The action will not endanger patients but in the words of ASMOF ACT President Professor Looi “It's more about limiting the contact with the employer.” Bans include not answering calls outside rostered hours, and refusing some administrative tasks. Negotiations for a new pay agreement commenced 3 years ago, and in that time wages for ACT doctors have dropped from being in the highest 25% in Australia, to the second lowest. Doctors are fighting for a fair pay deal which they say will assist in making working in Canberra’s hospital a more attractive option for employment, which in turn will address workforce shortages and improve patient care.
CEPU Tasmania - TasNetworks
TasNetworks workers rallied outside Parliament House in Hobart on Monday (23/9) as part of their campaign for pay parity with mainland workers. TasNetworks has sent out an EBA out to be voted on, and the CEPU is running a NO campaign on the agreement.
VAU/UWU - Ambulance Victoria
The VAU has reached an in-principle agreement with Ambulance Victoria. The agreement includes a 16.98% wage increase (compounded) for most workers, with the most experienced paramedics getting a 20% increase. An additional $12,500 relativity uplift for MICA paramedics is also included. According to an EBA update late last year, the original wage claim from VAU was 6% per annum or CPI (whichever was higher) over 3 years. While the 16.98% over 4 years falls short of this, it is a small improvement on the government’s initial position (and wage cap) of 3% per annum. The MICA uplift payment of $12,500 is only $123.52 less than VAU’s original claim. In relation to the key issue of involuntary overtime, paramedics will now not be sent to “lower-acuity cases” in the last hour of their shift, in fact they will be taken out of service at the end of their shift and only contacted for life-threatening emergencies. There have also been improvements to other allowances and conditions. Negotiations for this agreement commenced in February 2023, with the EBA expiring in January 2024, and industrial action starting soon after - a long dispute. As always, would love to hear from any ambos reading how they feel about the in-principle agreement.
ETU NSW - Transgrid
Transgrid workers will hold a rally at Transgrid HQ in Sydney on Monday 30 September at 11am as the next step in their long campaign for a fair pay deal. Get along and support the workers if you can.
UWU - CSR
Workers at CSR, a weatherboard manufacturing facility, have taken strike action for the first time in 30 years. UWU members took 12 hour stoppages on both Friday (20/9) and Monday (23/9). Workers have been in negotiations for 5 months. These stoppages are an escalation in their campaign for a fair wage increase, fair rostering and fair redundancies. Workers have been undertaking overtime bans since August.
The Services Union - Mt Isa City Council
Workers at Mt Isa City Council will be taking a second round of strike action with a stop work meeting today (25/9) at 12 noon. The union has rejected 4% annual wage increases, and is instead demanding a 6% increase in the first year, 5% or CPI (whichever is higher) in the second year, 4% or CPI (whichever is higher) in the third year, as well as an additional 2.5% superannuation above the legislated minimum.
CFMEU NSW/ETU NSW - Etex
The dispute at Etex continues. A strike fund has been set up by the ETU and another by one of the CFMEU delegates. Workers are demanding 6% annual increases to keep up with the cost of living, but Etex refuses to increase their offer, in fact they have threatened to remove their revised (but still inadequate) offer! In addition to wages, there are also safety and staffing issues at Etex.
AMWU Victoria - Asahi
Asahi technicians will take a 72 hour stoppage over the Victorian long weekend. This is the first update in this dispute since late May. Workers are still fighting for a fair pay deal.
NTEU - Casuals
Some emerging and ongoing issues for members of the precariat within universities have been reported on this week. Reporting in The Guardian discusses universities responses to the “Closing Loopholes” bill which was intended to make it easier for casuals to convert to permanent roles. It would appear that universities, where up to 75% of academic staff are on insecure contracts, are doing everything in their power to avoid a permanent workforce up to and including halting casual hiring; firing employees; briefing managers on how to get around IR laws and reducing courses offered. Some universities are also starting to use zero hour contracts and advising staff of classes on a weekly basis to avoid “firm advanced commitment” and regular work patterns needed to convert to permanency.
In addition to this, a number of tweets and a statement from the University of Sydney Casuals Network claim that the NTEU has let a $2 million wage theft claim launched by the USyd Casuals Network lapse, and that the NTEU NSW Branch has described $60,840.34 in agreed repayments a "positive outcome". The USyd Casuals Network is calling for the NTEU to apologise and commit “to pursuing all industrial and legal avenues to redress wage theft”. They have also asked any lawyers or industrial officers who may be able to assist in “pursuing alternative avenues” to get in touch.
The Services Union - Central Highlands Regional Council
Workers at the Central Highlands Regional Council are set to strike again with a 2 hour stoppage today (25/9). Workers have chosen the day and time to align with the Council General Meeting, and have invited Councillors to come and meet with them, listen, and understand their demands. Workers are calling for a decent wage increase to keep up with the cost of living, and fix a staffing crisis where 1 in 5 positions are vacant.
ETU NSW - Endeavour Energy
Last Thursday (19/9), Endeavour Energy put a marginally improved offer to workers. Endeavour will speak to the pay offer at the next EBA meeting on Thursday (26/9), and a paid members meeting will be held on 1 October to discuss and consider the offer.
UWU
Independent Senator, Fatima Payman who formerly worked as an organiser at the United Workers Union put a statement up on her socials on Monday saying she stood with workers at UWU who had spoken out about bullying and harassment. I’m not sure what the allegations are, but it does speak to a somewhat concerning pattern at the union. Recent events include 2 organisers being dismissed last year, both of whom claimed it was due to their organising of a majority support petition in order to initiate bargaining at the union; and revelations that Gary “Blocker” Bullock had been “inadvertently” been recording video and audio through the Brisbane office’s security system which became public knowledge due to the unfair dismissal claim of political coordinator Matt Lawrence. But allegations of a not great working environment stretch back to prior the NUW/United Voice merger to 2016 claims of extreme pressure, ruthless KPIs and a refusal to negotiate an EBA with union staff at United Voice - all of which were denied by leadership. It should go without saying that every worker deserves a safe workplace and a decent EBA - and that includes workers in union offices. I hope the comrades at UWU are okay: please reach out if I can offer any support or assistance.
That’s all I’ve got this week, comrades. My highlight was seeing so many unions rolling out to support the NSWNMA in their day of strike action in Sydney yesterday. We are so much more powerful when we stick together.
In solidarity, Sarah