GOLDCOAST GOLDCOAST GOLDCOAST

Gold Coast ETU members, like all our members, are faced with an industrial landscape that presents opportunities and beneficial outcomes for organised workplaces Non-union members and workers in non-organised workplaces are just getting more of the same

Personally, I was fortunate enough to have December and January off on Long Service Leave Two weeks back into 2023, we had members get a 10% wage increase at Coombabah Water Treatment Plant, and initiated genuine discussions with other employers playing in the electrical contracting industry world The tide has turned, and employers are now wanting to negotiate a union-endorsed agreement so they can tap into the increased work opportunities locally It's important we take this opportunity to do this in the right way, rather than rewarding the bad form of some of the employers who, over the last 10 years, have proven impossible to work with Recently, we had an employer sign onto the contracting EBA with one final request: ‘if I sign this EBA, can you help me get more employees working for my business?’ How times have changed!

With 10 years of successive federal LNP governments, the skills shortage is evident across all industry sectors They slashed our capacity to have apprentice ratios mandated in EBAs, meaning there were only a few employers investing in the industry, while many just leech from it Your union has always proudly pushed for apprentice ratios Over the last decade, we have seen increased work on the horizon and wanted to ensure young workers are given the opportunity to join a good trade, OUR trade It's likely that in some cases, we will be looking for external trade support with the labour market pressure It's vital to remember that this is not the fault of any overseas worker who may come into our country to assist It will be our role to ensure that overseas workers are employed out of a genuine need, that their skills are transferrable and safety requirements are met, and most importantly, that all workers are joining the union We can only tackle working life’s challenges together

Gold Coast Council members are in much better spirits having resolved a 3year dispute which sees them maintain all their existing wages and conditions This is a fight they know wouldn't likely have been reached in the absence of support from their union Interestingly, like a lot of workplaces, when management changes within Council, so does the relationship between workers and union officials Whilst there will always be ongoing challenges, it has been a welcome change to how the previous Council bosses treated their employees, on our local taxpayers' money no less

We have seen recently that some of our members have been offered retention ney, to be paid if they stay until a certain date A cash retention amount is ays handy, although dealing with the real issue is what we will educate our mbers about Real wage increases will assist any employer to retain ployees, particularly if the wages and conditions are endorsed by the pective union/s

Lift

This year has come out of the blocks quick I’m starting to see workplaces become more active and organised, Kone/Schindler members are starting to prep themselves for the EBA next year, having the discussion with apprentices joining the ETU and becoming organised, electing delegates, and speaking up about issues in their workplaces

Some big-ticket items that have become issues in the workplaces are:

Companies employing sub-contractors

No Emergency Response Plans when working in the lift shaft

With the Kone/Schindler EBA expiring in ea the horizon, and busy times ahead, now is the time to start building activism in your workplace, and discuss what the issues are with your current EBA We will have a few mass meetings throughout the year with all lift industry members – dates to be confirmed – and I urge everyone to get involved, attend, and have their say

I want to thank all delegates for the work you have done and will continue to do in your workplace me sayings don’t need to change, as they stay true through the ages: “if you ’t fight, you lose” There are no truer words spoken Keep in mind that this goes for industrial matters, safety, and any matter at work Often, I am finding members who have been reluctant to raise concerns around their workplace until their EBA expires Waiting to raise issues such as fatigue management, concerns with company vehicles and the like should be dealt with as and when the issues arise So, make sure you reach out if you are in this position DON’T wait

In closing, it is worth noting that whilst there are many opportunities for us out there, with the pressure on the labour market, there is a fair bit of movement with managers leaving for new roles, including site managers and safety officers Make sure you keep an eye on your own safety and the safety of those around you Stop work if necessary and don’t be pushed to work in unsafe work environments

OTIS NT Agreement voted up

OTIS members in the NT have negotiated and voted up their first enterprise agreement, securing their wages and conditions for years to come OTIS NT employees have worked under simple letter of offer arrangements for years and have gotten together to lock in under an EA. A 36-hour week, NT-specific callout arrangements, decent wage increases, and securing EA conditions that have been in place for years in Queensland into the NT agreement are all part of the package. Led by NT Delegate Shane Cherry, a few months of negotiations has brought a great result Shane should be commended on his commitment to get a good outcome, communication with members and attention to detail throughout the process. With this agreement now in place, the lift industry in the NT is in a good position with our companies up here now all working under union EAs

Ventia Defence FM EA

Ventia Defence Facilities management EA negotiations are proving to be a fair slog As usual, we have a big organisation coming to the table with bugger all to offer the employees that make them money The employer bargaining team has had a revamp but little change in decisions being made Protected Industrial Action may be the only way to get this one moving in the right direction

Rio Tinto Gove EA

A battle fought and won

Workers at Rio Tinto Gove Operations have fought and won a long, drawnout battle with their employer Rio Tinto Bargaining spanned over 18 months with plenty of twists and turns along the way, and an employer who constantly tried to delay and frustrate the process Rio came to the table wanting to remove long-held conditions and impose a whole lot of new ways to rip off our members who work at the bauxite mining operation in one of the country’s most remote areas

Negotiations pretty well came to an impasse late last year and our members overwhelmingly endorsed going down the road of taking protected industrial action Ballots were voted up and actions were notified In a strategic and well-timed approach, this then saw Rio wanting to get a deal done rather than have massive disruptions to its operations

One of the main outstanding claims at that time was the inclusion of a clause in the agreement that would allow the Fair Work Commission to arbitrate on disputes The previous provision required both parties to agree to go to arbitration, so if the employer didn’t agree (which they never did), a dispute could not be ruled on by the commission Access to arbitration is now included in the agreement

The agreement maintains all current entitlements, some improvements where required and locks in yearly wage increases going forward Many mass meetings were held in Gove throughout the process, with members driving the direction of negotiations all the way through A big thanks to our Delegates Steve Georgonicas and Lenny Garland, who fair dinkum gave their all to get this deal done, and to our ETU industrial officers, Pat Rogers and Lisa Midson, who provided endless expert advice

Congratulations to our members for sticking together throughout this long and arduous process with an employer who again has clearly shown where its employees sit in relation to their priorities. ETU members were absolutely pivotal in achieving this result, we may not have the numbers overall out there, but we are a solid crew on the park. This is the result of being part of a union and sticking together as workers This should occur in all aspects of your employment as management have not got your back

PowerWater & Territory Generation

Protected Industrial Action is in full flight at both PWC and TGen. Widespread industrial action is taking place across both organisations causing major disruptions, and we would argue, major cost implications Whilst we have seen some progress in negotiations since Christmas, it’s been slow due to an under-resourced Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment who still have eight public sector EAs on their plate to negotiate. Both PWC and TGen management have been conspicuous in their absence from the bargaining table, and seem happy to sit back and ‘ride it out’ Their lack of urgency to get a deal done has only strengthened the resolve of our members and we would imagine at some stage management will be held to account for their inaction

I want to thank all ETU members who are doing the heavy lifting with their ongoing commitment to the work bans The pressure is definitely having effect and we are making progress We are currently getting our applications together to introduce more work bans which will hit more specific targets, upping the ante

To recap, after a sustained industrial campaign by NT Unions, on 5 October the NT government announced a change to their wages policy, enabling a 2% compounding pay rise as the basis of negotiations and ending the proposed 4-year wage freeze This change falls short of addressing current cost of living concerns, and we are pursuing the many claims that remain outstanding.

Some of the main claims we are seeking are a real wage increase that addresses both cost of living concerns and the need to attract and retain employees, comprehensive clauses that address resourcing concerns and use of contractors, the introduction of a 36-hour working week, and reimplementation of the 6 week annual leave provision (currently 5). There’s a fair way to go yet in this battle and our members have shown they are up for the fight We’ll continue to pursue a decent outcome for our highly skilled members who operate and maintain the power, water, sewer and generating networks in the NT.

Stay strong and stay involved!