Industrial disputes & news - 19 June 2024
Wilmar; Asahi; Vic paramedics; Quantem; Sydney Light Rail; Cleanaway; City of Ballarat; Vic nurses & midwives; BAE Systems; WA Public Servants; Vic TAFE Teachers; Woolies; RMIT; CFMEU & many more!
ETU/AMWU/AWU QLD - Wilmar Sugar
Reuters have reported that industrial action at Wilmar Sugar was paused on 13 June and negotiations resumed between unions and the employer. Earlier last week production started, and then stopped, after the union advised workers would stop work for an hour at midday for a union meeting. A majority of Wilmar employees have voted against Wilmar’s most recent offer.
AMWU Vic - Asahi
The dispute between maintenance workers and Asahi continues with the AMWU sharing that targeted workbans were to take place over the King’s Birthday long weekend.
VAU/UWU - Victorian paramedics
Industrial action at Ambulance Victoria continues as unions notch up over 99 negotiating meetings. Ambos are seeking a pay increase, as well as action on shifts, involuntary overtime and other conditions. Meanwhile, a leaked report from Worksafe has criticised Ambulance Victoria for long-running staffing issues with MICA paramedics at the Ballarat based State Emergency Centre. A document produced by Ambulance Victoria titled “Psychological Risk Assessment Overall Report” reports a litany of workplace issues including inadequate support, risk of burnout, overwork and vicarious trauma. Sounds like it’s time for Ambulance Victoria to start listening to workers!
IEU NSW - Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office
Workers at the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office took 1 hour of stop work action on 6 June. These workers include administrative and support staff, but also school psychologists and education officer. They have usually received the same pay increases as school based staff, which due to the NSW wages cap have been very low for the last 10 years. However the Diocese is refusing to pass on the 8% increase that Catholic school teachers got in October, instead offering a shamefully low 3% instead. Workers are fighting back against this unfair discrimination by their employer.
MUA/CFMEU/UWU - Quantem Bulk Liquids
Industrial action has kicked off at Quantem Bulk Liquids facilities around the country. Workers are fighting for a fair deal, but the boss tabled an agreement that would see wages & super slashed by up to $33k per worker. Indefinite overtime bans commenced on June 8 and will likely escalated to work stoppages commencing on 15 June. Workers in Pinkenba (QLD); Corio (Vic); Largs Bay (SA); and Fremantle (WA) will participate in national stop work meetings on Friday (21/6).
RTBU - Sydney Light Rail
Light rail drivers held a 24 hour strike on 12 June shutting down all 3 light rail routes. Workers had planned to take industrial action on 29 May, but it was suspended at the 11th hour when the RTBU announced they had reached an in-principle agreement. RTBU members rejected the improved offer in early June. Workers are fighting for a 23% increase over 4 years and 5 extra days of sick leave per year.
TWU NSW - Cleanaway
The first intractable bargaining decision has been made since new laws came into effect late last year. Waste workers at Cleanaway’s Erskine Park site have made significant gains through this process including stopping workers from being forced to work weekends; maintaining overtime rates; a 15% pay increase (1 Sept 2022 - 1 Sept 2024); and a 23% increase over the new agreement (3 years until 30 June 2027). Prior to commencing the intractable bargaining process workers at Erskine Park, and other Cleanaway sites took industrial action.
ASU A&S Victoria - City of Ballarat
ASU members at City of Ballarat held a 1 hour stopwork action on the steps of the Ballarat Town Hall on 13 June. Over 100 office, road, early childhood parking enforcement, parks and gardens, gallery and waste collection workers participated in the action. The City of Ballarat has insisted on putting out an EBA to ballot without the support of the union, and the union is running a no campaign. Voting opens today and will close on 25 June with results to be released on 26 June. The ASU and City of Ballarat are already scheduled to be back in the FWC on 27 June.
ANMF Vic - Public sector nurses and midwives
The ANMF put out a campaign update on June 7 that confirmed that negotiations with the Victorian government continue in order to resolve the wages offer. The update also confirmed that Stage 1 industrial action is ongoing. There has been no mention of returning to Stage 2 industrial action from the union.
MUA/AMWU/ETU WA - BAE Systems (Henderson Ship Yard)
Workers at BAE Systems in WA have had their new EBA endorsed and registered. The new agreement includes pay increases of 5% in the first year and 3% in years 2 and 3. While this is less than the workers were aiming for, it is more than the bosses initial offer. During negotiations the Federal Government made announcements that negatively effected the projected future works for the company, weakening the bargaining position. Still looks like a good result with a $3500 sign on bonus, improved allowances and shift loadings for early starts. Workers at the site took industrial action earlier in the year.
CPSU WA - Public Sector workers
The WA Government has refused to consider a four day work week trial as part of the CPSU’s demands in their EBA campaign for WA public servants. The government also made a sub-par first offer of a 11.75% wage increase over 3 years. This is less than what was offered to WA teachers (12% over 3 years) and less than the demand of public servants - 12% over 2 years. Unsurprisingly, a delegates meeting voted this offer down, and the union has vowed to take rolling industrial action.
AEU Vic - TAFE teachers
On June 12, TAFE teachers across Victoria took 1 hour of stopwork action. TAFE teachers have been in negotiations with the government for 2 years and are fighting for better pay as well as action on workload and better funding for TAFE. AEU Sub-Branch President at Gordon TAFE Matt Henry correctly identified the current problem - “Whilst the government thinks they can solve the TAFE problem by offering free TAFE, free TAFE is no good if you’ve got no teachers.”
MUA Qld/AMOU/AIMPE - Champion 63 fuel barge
Workers on the Champion 63 fuel barge (a barge that fuels cruise ships and other vessels at the port of brisbane) have voted to take industrial action and subsequently taken 2 x 8 hour stoppages on 15 and 18 June. Workers are fighting for action on unfair wages, unsuitable rosters and an inability to take leave. ASP Ship Management than manages the barge has been dragging its feet taking 6 months to issue the NERR (Notice of Employee Representational Rights) and commence bargaining.
RAFFWU - Woolworths
The employee ballot on the SDA endorsed EBA at Woolies closes today. RAFFWU has been running an impressive no campaign. The odds are stacked against them, but here at Disputes Report HQ we love an underdog and no matter the result, salute their organising efforts.
NTEU Vic - RMIT
Workers at RMIT took 1 and half days of strike action last week on 13 & 14 June in the fifth walkout for the year. The RMIT University Agreement expired 3 years ago, and the VET Agreement 2 years ago. At the rally on 13 June, workers presented a letter of no-confidence in in Vice-Chancellor Professor Cameron and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Vocational Education Mish Eastman. A range of work and systems bans remain in place, and workers are contemplating boycotting the RMIT Open Day.
CFMEU Vic - EBA & McBurney
At a packed mass meeting at Festival Hall on Monday, CFMEU members endorsed a new EBA. Not much detail has been released as yet, but the Herald Sun and The Australian both reported a 21% wage increase over 4 years, I have heard 20% from a couple of members, and understand 5% per annum was the aim. Apparently some frank discussions at the meeting about the definition of “inclement” weather and redeployment of workers during inclement weather to work under cover rather than just sitting in the sheds. The agreement also includes the return of many clauses that had to be scrapped under the Coalition government’s draconian building code including the return of mandatory flags on every job site. There has been much more commentary around retiring branch secretary John Setka’s comments and proposed “work to rule” campaign on any AFL related projects due to the footy code rehiring Stephen McBurney. McBurney headed the ABCC for much of its existence, and after years spent pursuing the CFMEU, the Victorian branch seems committed to ruining his post-ABCC career. Is this the most pressing or strategic priority for the union, probably not. But the argument that somewhat won me over is “They make sure union activists never get a job again - why can’t we try and do the same?”
AFPA - AFP
After rejecting the AFP’s most recent offer on 3 June, AFPA is frustrated with the delay in recommencing negotiations. The AFP wants to complete a staff survey before starting to negotiate again. AFPA has already completed 2 surveys of staff on agreement negotiations. AFPA President Alex Caruana commented that “If the AFP Executive seriously does not know why the proposed enterprise agreement was voted down, then they are truly disengaged and disconnected from their workforce.”
ETU NSW - Endeavour Energy
Endeavour Energy workers rallied in Parramatta yesterday. Since October, ETU members have been fighting for a fair deal. Last month, 96% of members voted to escalate industrial action. The union claims management salaries have been increased by 12% but they are “crying poor” when it comes to a reasonable pay rise for workers to keep up with the cost of living.
IEU QLD - Ipswich Girls Grammar School
Following the first ever strike action at Ipswich Girls Grammar School on 4 June, the IEU sent a letter to the school board on June 10 with “a proposal to resolve current negotiations”. Two weeks of school holidays start on Monday. Media reports say that the next scheduled meeting between the school and union representative will be on the first day of Term 3 - July 8. Teachers are fighting for a cost of living adjustment, a new automatic step for experienced teachers and flexible access to leave.
CEPU Tasmania & AMWU - Saputo
Industrial action continues at Saputo with the most recent walk off having lasted well over a week with no end in sight. Workers have been fighting for pay parity with their mainland colleagues for 8 months. The company is resorting to bullyboy tactics such as flying in scab labour from Germany and mailing “information” about the negotiations to workers’ home addresses.
CFMEU - CFMEU
The Albanese government will introduce new laws that will allow the CFMEU Manufacturing Division to disamalgamate from the CFMEU. Tony Burke says the legislation has been being worked on for months and will be introduced to Parliament next week. This is deja vu to when amendments moved by Christian Porter to the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 allowed constituent parts of registered organisations to ballot members about deamalgamation after the 5 years post merger cut off point. This paved the way for the CFMEU Mining & Energy Division (now the Mining and Energy Union) to leave the CFMMEU. Sally McManus was quoted in The Australian as saying “Mr Setka’s personal grudges have led to parts of his union wanting to leave. There is no place for the conduct of personal vendettas in our movement.” While those comments could be chalked up to the current debate around the Victorian Construction Branch and John Setka’s demand that Stephen McBurney be sacked by the AFL… the real grudge is between John Setka and Michael O’Connor.
Junior Wages Should Be Abolished
The ACTU Congress was held in Adelaide in the first week of June. The major news story to come out of it was that the ACTU and SDA lodged an application with the FWC to abolish of junior pay rates in the General Retail Industry Award, Fast Food Industry Award and Pharmacy Industry Award. Before you start celebrating, the application only requests full wages for 18 - 21 year olds. The SDA and ACTU reckon 17 year olds should only receive 75% of the award rate (up from 60%) and workers 16 and under should only receive a depressing 50% (up from 45%). I hate myself for momentarily thinking the SDA had got something right when I read the headline! While not wanting to diminish jobs in retail, fast food or pharmacies, I think it is pretty obvious that whether it’s a 16 year old or an 18 year old flipping your burger; putting your groceries through the checkout or stacking shelves at Chemist Warehouse… it’s the same work, and the workers deserve the same pay. It’s time to genuinely abolish junior wages.
Well that was an action packed fortnight! And despite this being a big update, I’m sure I’ve still missed plenty of stuff! Please get in touch if you’ve got the inside scoop on a dispute not covered in this newsletter. I am so thankful to the comrades who send news my way!
In solidarity, Sarah