Industrial disputes & news - 23 October 2024

Ausgrid; Saputo; Grill'd; Virtus Health; ANU; NSW public servants; Brockman; WA Child Protection workers; Vic TAFEs; CFMEU; SCT; WA Police; Joe de Bruyn; IGGS; Kiama Council & more

ETU NSW - Ausgrid

Ausgrid workers walked off the job last Tuesday (15/10) and rallied in Sydney and Newcastle. Workers have voted down two agreements put forward by management and the union has flagged fair wages to keep up with the cost of living; improved allowances and a fair career progression system being the key issues still to be agreed on. A bargaining meeting was expected to be held last Wednesday (16/10.). 

AMWU/CEPU Tasmania - Saputo

The Saputo dispute continues with workers on strike for 17 weeks fighting for pay parity with Victorian Saputo workers. The AMWU reported last week that “after two productive meetintgs, Saputo has now withdrawn its agreement to parity.”  Workers have requested a boycott of Saputo products.  There is also a strike fund to donate to.

UWU - Grill’d

Approximately 20 workers at a Grill’d restaurant in Flinders Lane, Melbourne took 12 hours of strike action on Saturday (19/10). The action has been claimed as the first protected strike action undertaken by fast food workers in Australia… difficult to factcheck, but I haven’t been able to find any evidence to dispute this claim. Workers were joined by around 100 supporters outside the restaurant for a rally and press conference before heading off to talk to other Grill’d workers across Melbourne’s CBD. Workers at Grill’d are fighting for better wages and action to tackle Grill’d’s long-term strategy of using dodgy traineeships to keep wages low. Grill’d has put forward a crappy proposed agreement which UWU is encouraging workers to vote down. UWU is also keen to get in touch with as many Grill’d workers as they can - if you, a friend or family member work at Grill’d tell them to get in touch with UWU via this form. Thanks to the legends at RAFFWU for explaining that the fact that Grill’d serves alcohol is the reason Grill’d is an UWU site, and not RAFFWU. RAFFWU members were present at the strike action in solidarity. 

HACSU Tasmania - Virtus Health

Embryologists, nurses and administrative staff walked off the job at TasIVF and Hobart Specialist Day Hospital for 1 hour on Monday (21/10). Workers have been in a long running dispute with Virtus Health who are refusing to increase wages to match mainland workers.  Workers want a fair deal, and believe pay parity with the mainland will also address chronic staff shortages. Virtus have also threatened to dock the pay of workers participating in administrative bans. Workers are prepared to escalate their industrial action to achieve pay parity and action on workload.

CPSU Vic - Port Phillip Prison

Workers at a maximum security prison in Melbourne, thought to be Port Phillip Prison, commenced a range of bans and industrial action on Monday (21/10). Workers have implemented administrative and paperwork bans, a ban on redeployments, and will refuse to comply with the G4S policy of not speaking to the media.  Workers have also started arriving at work for security screening at the start time of their shift, not earlier. Reporting in the Herald Sun isn’t clear, but prisoners will be kept in lockdown for additional time each day - either 30 minutes or 1 hour. I wish the industrial action was geared purely towards inconveniencing the bosses, rather than more lockdown time for prisoners. Prisons are horrible, being locked in a cell is horrible, and most prisoners are workers too. Perhaps more imaginative bans can be implemented that put the pressure, and the pain, on the bosses. Workers at Port Phillip Prison initially implemented industrial action in May. Port Phillip Prison is scheduled to close in 2025, the EBA expired in December 2023.

NTEU - ANU

ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevive Bell has written to workers at the university, asking them to consider “forgoing” a 2.5% wage increase scheduled to be paid in December. Just days after the request, the university announced 108 job losses; in addition to 50 jobs cut from the College of Health and Medicine earlier in the month. This is all part of a restructure with ANU claiming they need to make $250 million in savings by the end of 2025. Workers and students rallied against the cuts last Wednesday (16/0). A ballot of workers would need to be held to vary the EBA in order to cancel the wage increase. The NTEU doesn’t believe the VC should try to vary the EBA, and would encourage members to vote no if such a ballot was held. The union is also calling for ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop to be sacked after her comments that inferred workers were responsible for “inefficiencies” that caused budget issues. The current EBA at ANU was approved in late 2023 and included 2.5% wage increases in December 2023, July 2024; December 2024; July 2025; December 2025; 18 June 2026. 

PSA NSW - NSW Public Servants

In last week’s report I speculated that despite PSA members voting to accept the NSW Government’s salaries offer, that industrial action would probably continue for Sheriffs Officers; Fisheries Officers and Child Protection workers. In the case of the sheriffs, industrial action was to cease on Monday (21/10). I don’t have any details about other NSW public servants… let me know if you do! I am particularly curious about the Fisheries Officers.

AMWU Victoria - Brockman

The dispute at Brockman continues with a full day stoppage last Friday (18/10) with more half day stoppages scheduled for this week.  Workers are fighting for a fair pay deal. 

CPSU/CSA WA - Child Protection Workers

Child protection officers from Joondalup to Bunbury walked off the job last Thursday (17/10), with around 150 workers rallying at Parliament House in Perth. In late September, the CPSU/CSA voted to accept the WA government’s wages offer of 12.5% over 3 years. But workers want action from the government on under resourcing and the 1000 child protection cases that have not had a dedicated caseworker since December. 

AEU Victoria - TAFE

AEU members have continued their rolling stop work actions with rallies at offices of MPs including Premier Jacinta Allen and Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney. TAFE teachers are fighting for action on excessive workloads; secure jobs; recognition for qualifications and a decent pay rise.

CFMEU - Administration and ACTU

Last Wednesday (16/10) a national meeting of 23 union leaders, mostly from building industry unions, met to discuss the administration of the CFMEU. The meeting resolved to run “political, social and industrial campaigns” to fight attacks on union democracy; the forced administration; and the attack on construction workers’ wages and conditions. The meeting also resolved to hold a Trade Unions for Democracy Summit on Monday 9 December which will consider the creation of an alternative to the ACTU; campaigns to support and restore union democracy; and future political funding. Prior to the meeting, media reports shared that both Mark Irving, the man appointed as administrator of the CFMEU and Sally McManus, Secretary of the ACTU who backed the administration were taking extra security measures, inferring that threats had been made against them. So, how complicit is the ACTU in the administration of the CFMEU? It is understood that Mark Irving’s right hand man is long-term union bureaucrat Michael Flinn. Who is Michael Flinn? Michael Flinn was Sally McManus’s deputy at the ASU in NSW for 8 years, both left the union in 2015. Michael Flinn’s next appointment was at the CFMEU Cross Divisional National Office working as National Executive Officer to then National Secretary, Michael O’Connor. Michael Flinn then migrated across to the ACTU to again work with McManus initially as Director of Growth. His last known position at the ACTU is “Head of Special Projects”, and seemingly the current Special Project priority of the ACTU is supporting the administration of the CFMEU. Michael Flinn’s close relationships with Sally McManus and Michael O’Connor should have made him an untenable choice for the administrator. Particularly when the Manufacturing Division of the CFMEU, led by Michael O’Connor, is in the process of a demerger application with the FWC to ballot Manufacturing Division members about leaving the CFMEU. The million dollar question is how much direct oversight and input the ACTU has had over the administration of the CFMEU, and the appointments it has made.

CPSU Tasmania - Community Corrections Workers

Community Corrections workers at the Department of Justice in Tasmania held a lunch time stop work last Thursday (17/10) to demand action on chronic under-resourcing and poor workplace culture. In addition to unmanageable workloads, important programs like Family Violence Offender Intervention are being impacted by indefinite delays. These workplace issues do not just affect staff, but the whole community.

UWU - SCT Logistics

Workers at SCT Logistics commenced strike action last Thursday (17/10). Workers at the specialist rail freight logistics company are fighting for a pay increase to keep up with the cost of living and for better job security. The union has started a petition to exert pressure on management, and notes that the company reported $512.7 million in revenue and $13.3 million in net profit after tax in 2023. Time to pay up!

HSU WA - Public sector health workers

The HSU has responded to the release of the WA Health Workforce Strategy by demanding the Cook Government make “a fair, respectful third offer”. The union is holding paid meetings over the next few weeks to discuss the campaign - so I expect we will have to wait for the conclusion of those meetings before there is any progress in this dispute, unless the government does put forward a decent deal.

WAPU - WA Police 

Since August, cops in WA have been taking “low level” industrial action (starting and finishing at rostered times and taking meal breaks). This has now escalated and includes participating in a daily standup briefing at the beginning of shifts; completing one job before accepting another; issuing warnings where appropriate; prioritising operation service delivery over Ministerial response and conducting “welfare checks” on roadside speed cameras. Cops have rejected one government offer in August and are on track to reject another shortly. The initial log of claims demands a 2 year agreement with an 8.5% pay increase in the first year, and 5% in the second year. 

JEERS: Joe de Bruyn - CHEERS: ACU Students

In news surprising to no one that has ever encountered Joe de Bruyn, the former leader of the SDA made a terrible speech at an ACU graduation ceremony where he was bestowed with an honorary degree. The speech traversed de Bruyn’s holy trinity of issues: abortion; IVF and same-sex marriage, and led to a pretty comprehensive walkout by attendees. An email to students after the event noted “we did encourage Mr de Bruyn to reconsider his speech through the lens of the graduating students’ achievements, hopes and aspirations. We are disappointed that the speech was not what most of our graduates would expect on an occasion like this.” This cop out proves the organisers were well aware of the risks of giving de Bruyn a platform (and an honorary degree), but decided to do it anyway. Shameful behaviour from ACU which is a Catholic university, but also a public university. Effected graduates have been offered a full refund of graduation fees, and confidential counselling is available for graduates and staff impacted. In addition to the walkout, ACU students and unionists from the ANMF, AEU, IEU and RAFFWU held a small rally and speak out at ACU on Tuesday afternoon. 

IEU - IGGS

The EBA for workers at Ipswich Girls Grammar School has been approved by the FWC. Workers voted down two proposed agreements and took strike action in June. Workers had been fighting for a Cost of Living Adjustment payment, a new automatic step for experienced teachers and flexible access to leave. I’ve had a quick look at the agreement, and I can’t see anything about a Cost of Living Adjustment, but they have won wage increases of 13-14% over 3 years. I hope the teachers are happy with their agreement. 

USU - Kiama Council

A bit late to the party on this one, but a great win shared with me by a reader this week (thank you!). Workers at Kiama Council had been struggling with a myriad of issues including being underpaid, overworked and safety conditions. The Council refused to act. In August, workers voted to stop work and picket council headquarters. After just 30 minutes of picketing, Council folded and agreed to pay all outstanding entitlements with back pay; grant days in lieu for every shift workers were forced to work within rosters that were in breach of the Award; and to address all OHS issues. Workers have now been paid what they are owed. A great demonstration of the power of strike action!

That’s all I’ve got this week. Thanks to readers who shared disputes (and wins!) with me this week. If something is kicking off at your workplace or in your industry or union - please feel free to get in touch! No dispute too big, no dispute too small!

In solidarity, Sarah