The Electrical Worker Volume 105

41

P

F

FROM

ASST.

ASST.

MAY

PRESIDENT:

TERRITORY

SUB

SUPPLY

Wendel

Scott

Jimmy

INDUSTRIAL

Lisa

Margarita

TRAINING

Rebecca

Andrew

Kristin

Steve

NORTH

TOOWOOMBA:

GENERAL

LIFTS

Damian

Dan

Shawn

org au

Peter

JOURNAL

robert@etu org au

strawbs@etu org au

FROM THE FROM THE SECRETARY SECRETARY

Comrades, to say we have a bit going on at the moment would be an understatement As this journal goes to print, we have just seen 5500 of our members working for EQL and Powerlink take protected action to secure an unprecedented enterprise bargaining agreement that will go a long way to not only retain but attract the workforce necessary to deliver the Queensland Governments Energy and Jobs Plan (see full story in Stuey’s article on page 6).

We are going to face some huge challenges in Queensland as we embark on delivering the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP). I have spoken before about the infrastructure build required for the QEJP Even putting to one side the construction of renewable generators and the pumped hydro for deep storage, we are going to struggle to build the 5000km of transmission required to move energy around Queensland

Right now we require an extra 2500 lineys to deliver the transmission build, and currently, Australia-wide, we have 34 overhead transmission liney apprentices being trained, that’s Australia-wide, not Queensland. The transmission contractors who will be tasked with building these lines have committed to us to put on hundreds of apprentices per year, but they need a pipeline of work to do so. Powerlink, the GOC responsible for the management of the construction and the programming of this work, is trying to bring projects forward, but are being hamstrung by environmental approvals (it’s currently taking two years to get approval).

But even if we manage to align this process, we currently don’t have the transmission training facilities, nor the trainers required to train the apprentices, nor the riggers to map across to linesworkers. Right now, your union is working hard to make governments, both state and federal, understand the urgency of fixing these issues, if we don’t then the energy plans across the country will not be met.

EQL & POWERLINK MEMBERS IN BRISBANE AND HERVEY BAY

ETU MEMBERS RALLY FOR BPICS, 2023

In the last two weeks, we have finally landed the BPICs for renewables projects Most would be aware that the Queensland government had introduced BPICs (Best Practice Industry Conditions) several years ago for projects in the building and construction sector for all projects that have $100 million of government investment BPICs delivers the best practice in industrial relations, training, and safety, and after two years of negotiating, we finally delivered it for all renewable projects with government funding of $100 million or more

We have seen the LNP and their journal, the Courier Mail, calling it the ‘CFMEU tax’ and throwing shit at the ALP for introducing BPICs and adding cost to government projects. You see, under the LNP and the ALP, until the introduction of BPICs, the labour costs or wages paid to workers on these projects were costed on the award, which very few of our members are working under. Now these projects will be costed on industrystandard EBA rates so on that basis, of course it will add cost , but if they had been costing them on EBA in the first place, there would be no extra cost. So, the ALP, when constructing government projects, is now putting the money into the pockets of the workers building them and into training of apprentices, whereas the LNP want to put taxpayers’ money into the pockets of the developers and builders.

I want to congratulate Paul Stacey and all our members at Capral for delivering a standalone maintenance agreement at the Capral Aluminium Bundamba site. Something they have been fighting to achieve for the last 20 years. Our phrase If You Don’t Fight You Lose certainly rings true with our members at Capral who have never stopped fighting for their standalone agreement, well done (see full story on page 16).

I want to also congratulate all members with Wilmar Sugar who have stood up to the bully-boy tactics of their employer and are standing strong together to deliver an EBA that will deliver a living wage instead of the below-the-breadline offer that Wilmar has put to them that doesn’t even keep up with inflation. At the time of writing. our members at Wilmar were going for a protected action ballot. Our members refuse to accept a substandard agreement from a company that they make billions of dollars of profit for every year.

And finally, a shout out to our members working for Coca- Cola in regional Queensland who have been engaged in difficult EBA negations and protected action for the past 10 weeks (see full story on page 23) CocaCola is one of the biggest multinational corporations in the world and they are trying to squeeze a few dollars out of their techs that service regional Queensland, paying them less than their workmates doing the same role in SEQ The level of bastardry shown by the management of this sector is astounding, and we need to take it further. Our members are doing the hard yards, and we need to support them I think we need to escalate this into a national CUB-like campaign - watch this space

IF YOU DON'T FIGHT, YOU LOSE!

WILMAR

SUPPLY INDUSTRY

We have now reached in principle agreement on the new EBA at Powerlink and Energy Queensland that delivers the best wages and conditions ever achieved in the Queensland power industry

ETU members at Energy Queensland and Powerlink were forced to take protected industrial action for the first time in 15 years due to stalled negotiations. Both employers had been consistently hiding behind the government’s wages policy instead of resolving the genuine attraction and retention claims Powerlink was particularly recalcitrant in their approach to negotiations, nothing we haven’t seen before.

We consistently have over 100 unfilled vacancies in the power industry because better wages and conditions are on offer elsewhere. This EBA will go a long way to addressing the critical attraction and retention issues

We had been negotiating with both employers since August last year, and members were rightfully frustrated at the delays whilst seeing their workmates leave for better offers elsewhere.

Members overwhelmingly responded to the protected action ballot with outstanding results at Powerlink, with a 93% return and a minimum of 95% in favour of all action and EQL members delivered a 92% return with 98% voting in favour of all actions These results sent a clear message that ETU members were committed to sticking together and taking action to achieve what we rightfully deserve.

Rallies were held outside State MP’s offices. ETU members slogged their guts out during the recent disaster storm responses and they were rightfully praised by Cameron Dick as the ‘best energy field crews in the world,’ whilst we languish well behind our interstate brothers and sisters.

As a result of our campaign, pledges were signed by many MPs including the Energy Minister, Treasurer, and the Premier. This action put EQL and Powerlink in a position where they had to negotiate on our key outstanding claims

This campaign has delivered industry standard wages, but just as importantly, delivered industry leading conditions such as income protection, superannuation, mental health leave, reproductive leave, improved parental leave, apprentice wages, overtime at double time, and the list goes on

Members will now have the choice to decide which super fund they invest their retirement savings with. Members will not be tied to Brighter Super as they continue to watch the service standard decline from a once great fund that we built Income protection separated from superannuation now allows that choice.

Once again, the ETU has led the charge through negotiations and delivered every major improvement in these negotiations. Disappointingly, solidarity from all was not demonstrated when needed. This further reinforces that we must continue to organise to grow our strength so we can be in a stronger position next negotiations.

Whether its income protection, superannuation, attraction and retention claims, or improved leave, it’s the ETU negotiating team that has argued and led the charge. I want to personally thank all the delegates who assisted during negotiations Their commitment to delivering positive outcomes for our members is second to none.

Membership growth has been impressive, it’s clear that workers want to join our union because they know we will stand up, stick together, and fight if need be.

This campaign has clearly demonstrated that when we organise and act ollectively, we win.

Victory to the ETU. In solidarity

CONTRACTING

Contracting Agreement

Close to 60 companies have now signed on to the ETU Contracting Agreement, ranging from security companies to fire and data and communications companies, as well as our larger mainstream electrical contractors. If the company you are working for is not on the ETU EBA, then contact your ETU organiser or the ETU office so when can start to get the ball rolling

Babinda Electrics, based in Cairns, is the first company in far north Queensland to come on board and embrace our agreement This is great news for workers up in the far north.

Windsor Income Protection

*NOTE: this is not financial advice

Windsor Income Protection (WIP) is our preferred income protection provider on ETU agreements Please double-check to make sure you are not paying for extra income protection you don’t need. If you have income protection through your super fund or a different provider and it’s not as good as WIP, I’d recommend considering moving across to WIP Remember if you are on the EBA, then your employer is paying the premium for your income protection.

We currently have an ongoing dispute with a member working at for UGL at Cross River Rail who needs income protection. The employer is refusing to hand over the pay slips needed to start the process WIP has asked UGL to provide payslips multiple times with no outcome, all while the member is not earning any income and of course has bills to pay.

WIP has decided to proceed with the income protection payments anyway, so the member doesn’t continue to struggle financially while waiting for their grubby employer to provide the basic information needed. It’s stories like this that helped us decide on recommending WIP in our agreements. It pays to have someone on your side when things go wrong We know from experience that your boss generally won’t have your best interest at heart.

If you have income protection coverage from WIP and you need to claim, don’t wait for your employer to fill in their section of the form before you lodge your claim. Lodge the claim and WIP will chase up your employer. If you have issues with WIP, contact me directly so we can resolve them immediately.

For more information on WIP, scan the QR code

Cross River Rail

Cross River Rail (CRR) continues to be an industrial nightmare for the union. We still hear about issues on site regularly. A big issue we’ve seen over the summer has been in regards to their heat policy – or lack of. A number of workers on Cross River sites have succumbed to heat stress, including one death, which brought construction workers in Brisbane to a

large rally in front of Parliament House on 15 February The rally saw really good numbers, including CRR workers. Members at CRR sites are continuously frustrated with the lack of decent management over safety and pay issues with the principle contractors CPB and UGL.

For workers on CRR sites, liase with your HSRs, delegates or union organisers, because CPB and UGL have shown time and time again that they won’t do anything about it. See Wendel’s update on page 17 for more information

Regional update

Construction works have commenced at Torbanlea. Klenner Murphy

Electrical will soon be looking for local workers in and around Maryborough.

We’ll soon have a grasp of which electrical companies have won the major contracts for the upcoming Government work including all the hospitals and prisons Currently, most of the project work is limited to minor civils and access roads, etc.

NT Contracting Agreement

The NT contracting agreement is now underway, check Strawbs’ update on page 10 for more info. We have also finalised the NT agreement through negotiations with Nilsen That agreement is in the process of getting voted up as this journal goes to print.

2024 RDO CALENDAR

RDOs

Make sure to hold on to a copy of the RDO calendar (above, or check the ETU website). Don’t forget this is what your EBAs include, and as far as we are concerned, all employers should be EBA. Make sure you are getting the RDOs you fought for in your EBA As I write this, Easter is fast approaching, and I hope everyone enjoys the Easter RDOs.

Long Service and QLeave

Please be aware that if you have 10 or more consecutive years with the one employer, that employer needs to pay your long service leave, not Qleave.

The reason I am raising this is that our EBA is reaching and in some instances has overtaken the weekly wage cap that QLeave has in place. Please note that your employer has the right to claim back the credits from QLeave to recoup some of the money they have paid out. See below an exerpt from the QLeave website.

Claim back long service leave payments

Paying long service leave under the Industrial Relations Act 2016

Under the Industrial Relations Act 2016, workers who stay with the same employer for 10 or more years may be entitled to long service leave paid by their employer. If any of your workers have been with you for 10 or more years, they have the option to take leave paid by you or receive a payment from QLeave. If you pay long service leave to a worker under the Industrial Relations Act 2016, you must notify us before they take leave. This ensures that the worker does not seek two leave payments

Construction patches

Now that Steve Bravo has moved down to look after the Gold Coast region, there has been some movement in the construction team. Wendel is now looking after mech-elec and Jimmy has fire and security

MAY DAY 2024

MARCH WITH US!

ALICE SPRINGS

9am Monday 6 May

Carpark across from Old Memorial Club

BARCALDINE

10am Monday 6 May

Barcaldine Showgrounds

BRISBANE

8am Monday 6 May

Cathedral Square

Cnr Turbot and Wharf Streets

CAIRNS

9am Monday 6 May

Figtree Park

Near Hemingways Brewery

GOLD COAST

9:30am Sunday 5 May

Pratten Park North

Broadbeach

DARWIN

10am Monday 6 May

38 Woods St

GLADSTONE

10am Monday 5 May

Gladstone Council carpark

58 Central Lane, Gladstone

IPSWICH

12:30pm Saturday 4 May

Timothy Moloney Park

Ellenborough St

MARYBOROUGH

10:00am Sunday 5 May

Waterside Workers Hall Wharf St

ROCKHAMPTON

9:30am Sunday 5 May

Woods Park

Miles St, Berserker

SUNSHINE COAST

10am Sunday 5 May

Caloundra Sharks Football Club

THURSDAY ISLAND

5pm Friday 17 May

Anzac Park

TOOWOOMBA

10am Saturday 4 May

Village Green

Ruthven St

TOWNSVILLE

9:30am Monday 6 May

Strand Park The Strand

PRESIDENT

Membership on the rise but more still to do

Membership of our union grew a lot in 2023, and continues too. We ended the year with 1 326 new members signed up, a 10 26% growth for our union. Congratulations to everyone involved in the growth, from ETU members and delegates, to officials, and admin staff. It was only a collective effort that could achieve such significant growth over the year. Well done to all!

Right now there are around 60 000 licence holders across the state and territory – we currently represent close to a third of eligible workers, with 16 025 members, including Honorary and Life members. This is before the incoming boom in our industry which will see more electrical workers needed and a significant increase in work.

When this happens, we will see a shift in our industry Those currently working in domestic will start entering more unionised industries like Supply, manufacturing and construction. We know that domestic workers are less likely to be union members, having had less exposure to the union when working in small companies or as sole contractors. We will need all hands on deck in ensuring workers who enter our industries are signing up to the union We can’t have our unionised sites and industries flooded with non-union members.

This is the risk of skills shortages – if you don’t have workers signing up straight away, there’s a high chance they never will, which of course poses a threat to our hard won wages and conditions, including the safety standards we have fought tooth and nail for If one in every three of us signed up just one new member, we would see massive coverage over the whole industry in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

I’m confident that as a union, we can keep on top of this and keep our jobs union!

Generation

It’s bargaining season in the generation space, we have wrapped up bargaining at for new agreements at Wivenhoe, Stanwell, Kareeya, Barron Gorge, Kogan and Bargaining just starting at Tarong, Swanbank, and Callide and Gladstone Power Station not too far away. With many of these sites all looking to what the future holds with transitioning to renewables on the horizon every single EA is more important than ever.

Ongy and Jason (Slads) Sladden (Generation ETU Executive member) on various committees dealing with the implementation of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP) there is a lot going on in the background in the generation space I hope to have Slads give a detailed update as part of the next journal.

Rail

Queensland Rail (QR) members are enjoying the benefits of a major wage increase, as reported in the previous journal The increase and backpay just before Christmas meant a little extra cash for presents under the tree or a holiday with loved ones. QR workers fought hard for the increase and it was very well deserved The fight is never over, however, and we are still having some teething issues with the EBA, with payroll and wages, which are being dealt with as they arise.

QR members are also going through a shit fight with Track Access System (TAS), a new electronic safety system that should ensure members' safety when working on tracks The issue is that after being forced to transition from a very reliable paper system, the TAS system is only accurate 68% of the time, which makes it completely unacceptable and not fit for purpose, YET!! The fight is ongoing, and as I write this, we have workers refusing to use TAS until it is working effectively to keep our members safe. QR is using our ETU members as guinea pigs to fix the bugs in the TAS system instead of doing proper testing before implementation. The way the system is now is like crossing Ann Street in Brisbane CBD with a blindfold on and earplugs in. Sure, you may make it across, but chances are you get hit We will never accept a second rate system when it comes to safety.

TERRITORY UPDATE

Nilsen NT EA in principle agreement

In what’s been a long, drawn out bargaining process, at the time of writing we have reached in principle agreement with Nilsen NT in relation to their proposed Enterprise Agreement (EA). Nilsen NT employees had a lot of ground to make up with the two previous EA’s being substandard and seeing wages and conditions falling behind

After plenty of bargaining meetings, with the employee bargaining team putting in a power of work, Nilsen put the proposed agreement out to vote late last year with a resounding no vote result from employees, they then put it out to vote again (with no changes made) hoping for a different outcome! Not at all surprisingly another resounding no vote was delivered by the workforce who were not going to settle until their main claims were met.

After the two solid no votes, negotiations had stalled our Nilsen NT members filed for protected industrial action, and with a successful ballot, began taking action on the jobs The crews did a great job sticking together and being strategic with their approach to their actions.

This brought on a sense of urgency from Nilsen management and saw the decision makers fly into town and come to the table to thrash out the sticking points and reach in principle agreement

Excellent results have been achieved - employees will see 21.5% worth of wage increases over the life of the agreement, back pay provisions, improved Income Protection insurance, CIRT Redundancy fund, introduction of all overtime at double time, introduction of travel allowance, Delegate rights and training clause and many other clause inclusions to bring this agreement up to speed.

Credit must be given to the employee bargaining team (especially Ash, Dave and Damo) who have persisted relentlessly, and put in a huge amount of their own time and resources to get a decent outcome improving the workplace conditions at Nilsen NT Also a thanks to Lynchy for his help at the pointy end.

This agreement is more than just a good outcome for the Nilsen NT employees, as it is now the framework for our Northern Territory Contracting Enterprise Agreement. It is our intent to organise around this document and get improved conditions across contracting contractors throughout the NT.

Ventia Defence FM EA

Another marathon bargaining process with Ventia in defence maintenace, at the time of writing we have reached in principle agreement in relation to their proposed EA

This bargaining was an extremely frustrating process for our side as we had constant HR/management/IR consultant changes take place throughout the bargaining and we were continually having to go over things bring them up to speed of where things were at. There was also the problem of not having the actual decision makers in the room and all proposals having to be taken away to get looked at.

In June last year Ventia put the agreement out to vote, with employees rejecting the offer, after a couple of further meetings they rolled the dice in December and put it to vote again (no changes!) Another no vote and rejected offer.

With negotiations at a stand still we got a protected action ballot up and notched our approach up a couple of gears. It’s fair to say that Ventia were not at all happy and with contract negotiations in full swing it wasn’t a good look on the defence bases for them

Our members were put under significant pressure by management leading up to and taking protected action and credit to all who stuck to their guns in taking it.

This brought on some meaningful bargaining and movement that we had been seeking for some time.

Significant backpay, modest wage increases, re-leveling of a number of employees, on call rates improved, NT allowance increased for some levels, a number of allowances being applied to different classifications, commitment to a classification review and some improved clauses saw us at a point where we could reach in principle agreement.

Big credit to the employee bargaining team of Ian, Shaun and Dan who have slogged it out with one of the most frustrating employers to bargain with and helped deliver a decent outcome in the defence maintenance space in the NT

McArthur River Mine Enterprise Agreement

After some years of not being a part of this EA the ETU is at the table for this round at MRM. With members joining up out there its great to see this workforce getting organised.

We are part of a Single Bargaining Unit with the AMWU and UWU and at meeting 2 we have identified many claims that need to be addressed. Early days for this one and we’ll keep you informed

Groote Eylandt Enterprise Agreement

Groote is up again this year and we’ll be out there in the coming weeks to talk to members and start to compile our log of claims (LOC).

TRACE (Ventia) loses Maintenace Contract at INPEX Onshore LNG Facility With the minimum notice periods applied, our members working for TRACE out at the INPEX Onshore LNG Facility were advised in midOctober 2023 that they were being made redundant effective 22 November 2023. Nice timing with Christmas around the corner.

TRACE had lost the maintenance contract with INPEX and Monadelphous were taking over. Unfortunately, this was not going to be a straight ‘shirt change’…far more than that.

Massive changes were taking place. Work life balance friendly rosters that had been worked by our members for many years were being scrapped and a Monday to Friday roster arrangement was on offer to all (apart from a few on 2/2) who wanted to re-apply for their jobs. This arrangement would see our members working around 300 hours extra on site a year for between $20k-$50k less in their pockets

Given that it was a full contract change, companies can do this and it’s up to the worker to apply for a job under the new offer or not.

A pretty bloody average offer, which has been met with minimal take up from many workers who had been out there for several years. It’s evident that Mono’s are struggling to attract enough electrical workers to meet their contract obligations and we are seeing FIFO jobs being advertised, going against the commitments of the INPEX plant employing a locally based workforce.

Mono’s are using their MOAG agreement, a baseline agreement they had had in place for their Darwin workshop for some time. This agreement does not include many of the site-specific conditions that had been fought and won by our strong membership at TRACE.

This saw all unions and members kick into action to try and negotiate a better deal than what was on offer and with the support of the workforce and many member meetings held, we were able to gain some improvements But still a long way short of the previous conditions Some of our strategies won’t be included in writing here, and a couple of other comments, but a big thanks to those who stuck together and held the line in what was a fast moving beast

Mono’s and INPEX have agreed to a roster review, which at the time of writing is getting underway.

The current MOAG EA expires in February 2025 and we’ll obviously be all in on improving things through that process.

The INPEX plant is going to be there for a long time and we will continue to organise and improve working conditions for all our members employed there.

Northern Territory Contracting Enterprise Agreement Campaign kicking into gear

We now have the framework for our Northern Territory Contracting Enterprise Agreement ready and will be campaigning across electrical contractors in the NT to get it in place as far and wide as possible. Good locked in wages and conditions for workers, a level playing field for employers and improvements for the electrical industry and our trade overall is what we are wanting to achieve.

Please ensure your employer details are up to date in our membership system as we will be getting in contact to get the NT Contracting EA off the ground

New NT Electrical Safety Act and Regulations

Work is continuing on the drafting and legislative work required towards the implementation of the new Northern Territory Electrical Safety Act and Regulations and we expect that the implementation date will be 1 July 2024

As we get closer to that date and the information becomes available, we will provide updates to members to ensure you are across it all

SUB BRANCH MEETINGS 2024

BRISBANE

Friday 17 May

Tuesday 13 August

Friday 15 November

CAIRNS/FNQ

Monday 29 April

Monday 12 August

Monday 18 November

CONTRACTING

Wednesday 15 May

Wednesday 7 August

Wednesday 13 November

GLADSTONE

Friday 5 April

Friday 5 July

Friday 11 October

Friday 6 December

GOLD COAST

Thursday 13 June

Thursday 5 September

Thursday 5 December

IPSWICH

Monday 15 April

Monday 5 August

Monday 18 November

LIFT - BRISBANE

Wednesday 5 June

Wednesday 11 September

LIFT - GOLD COAST

Wednesday 20 November

MACKAY

Wednesday 15 May

Wednesday 14 August

Wednesday 13 November

DARWIN

Thursday 16 May

Thursday 15 August

Thursday 7 November

OLD SCHOOL

Wednesday 19 June

Wednesday 27 November

SUNSHINE COAST/ WIDE BAY

Tuesday 4 June - Bundaberg

Friday 7 June - Maryborough

Friday 14 June - Sun Coast

TOOWOOMBA

Friday 7 June

Friday 6 September

Friday 6 December

TOWNSVILLE

Wednesday 5 June

Wednesday 4 September

WOMEN’S COMMITTEE

Thursday 11 April

Thursday 6 June

Thursday 5 September

Thursday 14 November

YOUTH CREW BRISBANE

Wednesday 24 April

Wednesday 21 August

Wednesday 27 November

For Gold Coast, keep an eye on your emails

SUPPLY CONTRACTING

Powerlink’s Flawed Approach to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan

Powerlink plays a crucial role in Queensland’s energy sector The ETU has concerns about Powerlink’s approach to delivering the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP), particularly its hands-off approach to dealing with contractors for building transmission networks and substations, and the lack of a strategic plan to support industry growth.

Powerlink’s approach appears to lack a strategic plan to support growth in the industry. Without a continuous pipeline of work, contractors are hesitant to hire apprentices, potentially leading to a skills shortage in the future The contractors Powerlink is relying on have no apprentices, not because they don’t want to hire them, but because of their concern of not being able to keep them engaged over the full 4-year term of the apprenticeship This could jeopardise the delivery of the QEJP and the 200 plus proposed renewable projects.

Concerns have also been raised about the workforce that Powerlink’s contractors are employing. The workforce is largely sourced from interstate, and currently there is limited opportunity to upskill these workers If this trend continues, Powerlink may have to resort to a largely foreign workforce to meet the demand expected in 2024 - 2027.

The working conditions for the contractors have also been a point of contention. Workers being made to stay in caravans on a railway line, lack of communication methods on the jobs, and no phone reception are concerning Additionally, there have been instances of little to no response to first aid, workers being forced to work in hot and humid conditions, and workers being stood over and feeling pressured to do things they normally wouldn’t do Fortunately, the ETU has been on these jobs and has been able to work with its members and have these contractors improve these conditions and bad behaviours. Such conditions should not be allowed on any projects, especially those worth hundreds of millions, or more than a billion dollars.

While Powerlink has a critical role in Queensland’s energy sector, its current approach to delivering the QEJP raises several concerns. From its heavy reliance on contractors, to the lack of a strategic plan for industry growth and poor working conditions, Powerlink needs to address these issues to ensure the successful delivery of its projects and the long-term sustainability of Queensland’s energy sector.

Supply Contractor Negotiations and Industry Developments

Supply contractor agreement negotiations have kicked off earlier than ever this time around, however, talks have hit a roadblock due to extended negotiations with EQL and Powerlink, both of which have exceeded their expiry dates. Both workforces have kicked off industrial action campaigns, and while this situation plays out, negotiations will be suspended as we await the outcome

Once the network negotiations conclude, supply contractors should anticipate a significant pass-through effect This should mean improved terms with better rates and allowances.

The pause in negotiations has given us time to go into battle with the networks over a CPI increase passing through to supply contractors. Initial conversations that were had were not positive, with some being told there would be no increase Thankfully, after much discussion, common sense did prevail, and we saw the same increase applied to contractors as was provided to the directly employed workers. Unfortunately, this does not benefit the entire contract workforce, it excludes those involved in construction work within the Powerlink domain.

The exclusion of construction contractors under the Powerlink banner from the CPI increase has raised eyebrows. Senior Powerlink managers seem to still hold the view that these workers are somehow second-rate

Thankfully, the ongoing Powerlink negotiations have this issue squarely on their agenda The push for equality and fair treatment remains a top priority. The ETU is determined to dismantle any remnants of a two-tier workforce.

While negotiations remain on hold, we are not sitting idle. We are introducing Windsor Income Protection to supply contractors. This move promises better coverage and support for union members Additionally, those nearing their superannuation cap will soon have the option to contribute extra funds to their retirement savings due to the income protection portion being paid separately to super

A benefit of this for our broader membership will be freedom of choice in Superannuation You can expect Cbus to be present at future depot meetings in the coming months, where they can provide information on the benefits of being a Cbus member into retirement.

Expect an update from your ETU delegate in the very near future, as I’m sure it won’t be long, AND we will be back to the negotiating table very soon We are going to be expecting an outcome reflective of the demand in the industry and without delay from the supply contractors.

VALE DINNY MADDEN

When news filtered through that ETU legend and Honorary Member Dinny Madden had passed away on December 18, there was a collective moment of reflection and sadness among the many ETU officials and members past and present who had met or had the privilege of working with him. Dinny is a unionist though and through, ETU and working-class values run through his veins His work during the infamous SEQEB dispute is legendary, his presence at functions, May Day marches, and conferences always bought a smile. He will be missed but his legacy and commitment to this great union will live on

“Dinny was a rock-solid unionist, he was the face, heart and soul of the SEQEB dispute. Even in defeat, Dinny fought to the end for the rights of the ETU workers sacked by the despised Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who he fittingly described as ‘the funnel web spider in the underpants of society’.”

Former ETU State Secretary Dick Williams.

In the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), news of the death of Dinny Madden, a legend, an Honorary Member, and a true friend, spread quickly At the same time, an emotional message from ETU Life Member Chris McGaw echoes through the ranks of the ETU

“Dinny Madden was more than just a friend. He helped and guided the people who worked there and for them and their families. Because he never wavered in his support for fairness and unity, he became a real hero in the ETU community. People who worked with Dinny will never forget how friendly and down-to-earth he was.”

ETU Life Member Chris McGaw

Chris McGaw, a Life Member of the ETU, talked about how Dinny had a big impact on their lives and how having Dinny around has made their lives more satisfying Dinny’s spirit was that of Henry Lawson’s poem, ‘Too Old to Rat,’ also known as ‘The Old Unionist’, which showed how dedicated and friendly he was. A lot of people looked up to and learned from Dinny.

As Dinny’s family and friends go through this hard time, the ETU family wants them to know that they are in our thoughts. Dinny Madden’s death will leave a big hole in the union, but he will always be remembered as a true friend and fighter for the working class.

On Saturday 13 January, Dinny was farewelled at his favourite watering hole, the Ferny Grove Sports Club. Surrounded by Dinny’s family, friends and comrades, Chris McGaw dutifully recited the poem as requested. Such is the high regard Dinny is held in by the ETU, the three surviving current and former ETU state secretaries were in attendance Peter Ong, Dick Williams, and Bob Henricks, along with a solid turnout of officials and former comrades At the wake, we heard about Dinny’s love of the union, the Labor Party, family life, Triumph motorcycles and his wife Jackie. Stories were told, yarns shared, and more than one glass raised.

As Chris summarised, the more he read the poem, the more he thought it held special meaning for Dinny.

“The words of the poem are very close to the feelings Dinny had about the SEQEB dispute, the references to the press, the starving strikers and to fighting the bitter fight He was a true comrade ”

The formal proceedings concluded with Dinny’s daughter-in-law reciting a poem titled ‘The Linesman’

Honorary Members End-of-Year Function

Approximately 50 members of the Brisbane HMG were in attendance at the ETU office on November 30th for the end-of-year function. Despite Committee member numbers being down with the sad passing of Ray Lawrance, the unavailability of Clive Cooke, Dinny Madden's poor health, and Gordon Abbott's battle with COVID, the event proceeded.

ETU staff members Barry, Lachlan, and Kirra-Lee provided invaluable assistance by arranging a last-minute pizza spread after the planned catering fell through With plenty of pizza to go around, no member left the event feeling hungry.

State secretary Peter Ong, assistant secretaries Stuart Traill and Chris Lynch, and president Jason Young were in attendance, with Jason serving as the MC and leading the "In Memoriam" segment. Members paid their respects in silence as Jason read out the names of those members who were no longer with us. Peter (Ongy) then addressed the group, offering an update on ETU matters.

The significant increase in membership was particularly noteworthy. Honorary members expressed their appreciation for a pleasant evening and looked forward to the next function

Gordon Abbott, HMG President

VALE CHRIS HEGNEY ETU Honorary Member 31/10/1944

- 12/12/2023

It is with sadness that we advise the passing of long-time ETU member Chris Hegney. Chris joined the ETU in 1971 and worked for 29 years at the Swanbank power station in the Ipswich region until it closed, upon retirement he continued his involvement as an Honorary Member.

We received an email from his wife Joanne advising of Chris’s passing while also thanking the ETU for our support and assistance. Here’s some of what Joanne shared.

UNION FAMILY CONNECTION

“In recent years, due to Chris’ ill health and moving from Ipswich to Esk, Chris had lost touch with a lot of the people he had worked with at Swanbank Power Station where he worked for 29 years. He was very sad when it closed.”

“We remember the happy times as a family we spent at the Swanbank Christmas parties run by the union/social club. The children loved it as did we Being from Scotland and having no relatives here these occasions made such a difference to us and our children. Santa was there, every child got a present, our kids really looked forward to it. The BBQ and the ice creams went down well with everyone, the organisers did a fantastic job.”

HONORARY MEMBERS GROUP

BIG WIN FOR CAPRAL MEMBERS

When Paul Stacey started work in the maintenance team at Capral Aluminium in Bundamba around 20 years ago, it was a well-paid job with good conditions. He and his workmates were on individual contracts at the time, until about three years later when new management was brought in. Managers brought in a new combined agreement for production and maintenance workers which featured a 30% pay cut for Paul and the maintenance team

Paul and the other ETU members spent around 19 days on the grass protesting the new agreement The company brought in ‘strike breakers’ to pick up the work, also often referred to as scab labour. The dispute went to the Fair Work Commission, but the workforce lost “We had a reputation for fighting for what’s right at that point” says Paul “And the company used that against us.”

Production workers significantly outnumbered maintenance staff, so in every enterprise agreement since, ETU and AMWU members in the maintenance team have not held any voting power “We’d be left with whatever crumbs we could pick up,” Paul explains “Management would turn down our claims, saying ‘we can’t give you that, because then we’d have to give that to the production staff as well’ ” Production workers would often accept one-off lump payments in lieu of pay rises, something ETU and AMWU members would not willingly take.

Paul has been the delegate at Capral for six years, and has personally felt and witnessed the impact of being outnumbered at the bargaining table every three years He says that the workforce felt suppressed and controlled by the company “Because we stand up to management, we get painted as the bad people,” says Paul. “Management pitted production and maintenance workers against each other for their own gain ”

Former ETU organiser Garry Rogers fiercely represented Capral workers from before their 19-day stint on the grass until his retirement in 2021, after which time the shop was handed over to Organiser Luke Ellis. Countless attempts had been made by the ETU to win the right to a maintenance-only agreement; including a FWC scope order application in 2010, but all workers will know that these fights are often difficult and lengthy to win

After many years of fighting, members were successful in late 2023!

On 15 December 2023, the first ever Capral Bremer maintenance agreement was passed through the Fair Work Commission. When asked why he thinks it got over the line this time, Paul says it didn’t come down to one single reason, but smart and strategic negotiation and continued, consistent pressure went a long way. “When we came to the negotiating table this time around, management knew we were prepared,” says Paul. “We came in with reasonable but fair requests, and ideas for pay rises and allowances ” The union representing the production workers were markedly less organised with their log of claims.

“We kept the pressure on,” said Paul. And it paid off! It was a long-fought campaign, around 17 years in the making, but Capral workers are over the moon with the result The biggest highlight is of course the ability to negotiate their own agreement, this time, and into the future. “We’ll be able to negotiate without having to worry about production workers agreeing to sub-standard offers, and we will only have to bargain with management, instead of also being up against another union.”

The electrical workers at Capral are 100% union, which every ETU member will know means a lot when it comes to negotiations. “Everyone had input into the log of claims,” said Paul “And everyone was prepared to contribute We were united and it was good to know everyone had faith in what we were trying to achieve.”

Besides the maintenance-only agreement itself, workers won significant improvements on their pay and conditions, including a nine-day fortnight, a fair pay rise (amounting to 11 8% over a 2 year agreement leaving the electricians on $54 45p/h before shift loadings and other entitlements are factored in), transition to retirement provisions, strong provisions around the use of subcontractors to protect the jobs of permanent employees, and the right to arbitration Their new EA is also underpinned by the Award; where there is any inconsistency between Award and EA, workers will receive whichever is most beneficial to them

The long fight has finally paid off for ETU members at Capral, who are now getting fair pay and decent conditions specific to their roles as tradespeople Paul and his workmates are now getting paid what they deserve. Thanks to the hard-won fight, Capral has returned to being the well-paid job with good conditions that Paul first signed up for two decades ago Some wins are a long time coming, and this is certainly one of them Congratulations to delegate Paul and ETU members at Capral for putting up the fight and holding the line

Queensland Urban Utilities infrastructure is operated and maintained by Utilita, a joint venture between Downer and Ventia.

The Utilita agreement expired at the end of last year, and we’ve put in a lot of time organising the electricians to fight for a decent outcome with their pay and conditions. The effort has paid off on the ground, with the membership more than doubling to 34 with only a couple who are still holding out on joining up to the union.

The best result has been the increase in the level of activism, specifically with the workers endorsing, voting on, and taking protected action in pursuit of their claims.

The vast majority of the members had never taken industrial action before, and to see them organise and get after it has been inspiring The struggle continues with the protected industrial action, but whatever the outcome, these members have already won the fight for collective dignity and respect.

Upcoming works

We’re starting to see a range of work beginning to come online, both in state government and private sector funding. With the amount of work coming up in state government hospital builds and upgrades alone, it’s a great time to be an ETU sparky in Queensland

E-Scooters

With the introduction of affordable electric scooters to purchase or hire on the street, our members have taken advantage of using them to get from public transport or carparks to the job site.

While they are convenient and quick to get around, unfortunately we’ve seen a significant increase in the number of injuries to our members to and from work

This has resulted in hospitalisations, surgeries, long absences from work and long-term health implications

If you’re using an e-scooter, I urge you to ensure it is in a serviceable condition, wear a helmet, obey all road rules, and make sure you aren’t distracted or unable to hear what’s going on around you due to wearing earphones

It only takes a split second to change you and your family’s life forever.

WENDEL MOLONEY

APPRENTICES

It’s all happening in the apprentice space as we continue to see work and demand for tradespeople and apprentices expand across all facets of the electrical industry.

With this, we’re seeing an increase in issues regarding poor treatment of apprentices.

We’ve recently dealt with numerous employers who seem to think that they can get away with trying to force apprentices to pay for their own mandatory training, companies who think they can run jobs full of apprentices with barely any supervision, and companies who think they can get away with standing over apprentices in order to undermine their

pay and conditions and safety on the job

This is a great time to remind apprentice members of the resources available to them through their ETU Apprentice Coordinator!

The ETU facilitates a full time Apprentice Coordinator position in order to ensure that apprentices receive specific representation and advice relevant to their situation. Please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call if you’re in a situation where advice and/or representation is needed so we can assist you in navigating the situation towards the best possible outcome.

NECA Agreement

The first ever NECA Apprenticeships Queensland-only agreement has just been approved in the FWC after a lengthy process. This will ensure that NECA apprentices in Queensland receive all the entitlements relative to our QLD GTO EBAs, including income protection through WIP, full jumpup clause, always being above award rates, provision of tool kits, rather than having to buy them all themselves as they have done previously, and a heap of other entitlements.

It’s been 3 years in the making, but finally NECA apprentices are in charge of their own destiny, working under their own local agreement!

Big shoutout to all of the NECA apprentices who got involved in the process over the last 3 years of petitions, negotiations, and agitation.

Utilita Members Organising and Fighting to Win

Two successful ETU operations in one month, 1 800 km apart

head to Far North Queensland to provide assistance on the ground for flood-ravaged communities following Cyclone Jasper's deluge Then less than two weeks later, on January 8th, the operation ramped up again after a freak tornado tore through parts of the Gold Coast hinterland between Christmas and New Year According to State Assistant Secretary Stuart Traill, having two deployments overlapping so far apart (1800km) was a unique experience that provided some challenges Despite some planning headaches, the crews performed superbly resulting in two highly successful deployments that provided hope and dignity to affected communities

Inside Operation Energise, why it works, and how it has grown to be an integral part of community clean ups following major natural disasters

On January 8th at 9am, volunteers from various companies – Powerlink, Stowe, SDF and Electrogroup – gathered in the ETU training room for a pre-deployment briefing Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants left the briefing as a collective group, with a clear understanding of what was expected of them, what risks they might encounter, where to go for assistance, and the importance of competence and empathy.

Cam Humphreys, a veteran of all but two previous Operations, explained that their mission was to provide quality work, hope, and dignity to some of the most vulnerable in their communities – pensioners, the uninsured, and community/sporting groups that are often the centre of social life

“There are no quotas to hit, no profits to be made, we are there to provide quality work, hope and dignity to some of the most vulnerable in our communities ”

All eight participants were newbies to the Operation, joining Cam from Powerlink Four were apprentices from Electrogroup, and two tradies each from electrical contractors SDF and Stowe joined the group Here’s a taste of what they experienced

Charlie Wiggett, 37, from SDF, was looking forward to helping out Living on the coast himself, he had mates who had been impacted. “While I am not that far away, it seems so far and disconnected after the tornado I want to help out I expect to see houses without roofs, sheds and buildings destroyed, and people who are struggling. But I love the community spirit and resilience and want to part of bringing hope and dignity to people doing it tough ”

We caught up with Charlie after he returned home, was it what he expected?

“I was surprised by how sporadic and different the damage was, from people with the inconvenience of no power, to people who had lost everything. I think I underestimated the intensity of the damage. But what really inspired me was the community spirit and resilience, the communities we were in worked together well and it was great to see in many cases they didn’t need our help, which allowed us to focus on those that did ”

One particular story stuck with Charlie...

“The team was dispatched to a 5-acre property located behind Jimboomba in the heart of the impact zone The tenant, a woman with medical issues, had been without power for over 17 days When we got there, we saw the damage, 90% of the trees on the property were uprooted, causing significant damage to the house To make matters worse, her 16-year-old son's first car was crushed by a falling tree, which was devastating, as he had just finished building it and was preparing to get his licence While we managed to provide some temporary power, it was stories like these that remind us of the real impact natural disasters can have on people's lives I would definitely volunteer again”

For fourth-year apprentice Callum Kemp, 24, it was all about giving back and using his skills to help others "It will be great to give something back to the community, while it also gives me a great opportunity to learn new skills" While he knows it will be emotional at times, he also knows he has a great support team around him and the opportunity to debrief and get back out there to bring hope

Other participants spoke about how gratifying it was to be able to give back to communities, most praised the resilience and community spirit they saw, however on some occasions they saw the selfish side of society “We went to one place, very well to do, power was on, just a cooker that was not working and a pool cleaner that had stopped It was disappointing to see how some people would believe they had a right to a free service for the most vulnerable, when they clearly had the financial capacity to fix it themselves It took resources away from those that needed it the most”

- Anonymous

GOLD COAST OPERATION ENERGISE TEAM

CHARLIE JOINS THE TEAM

How Operation Energise Responds to Disasters

Operation Energise has been refined over time to become a highly efficient operation that encompasses volunteers, ETU officials, state government agencies, companies and sponsors, ETU media officers and expert administration staff It ensures the safe and swift deployment of electrical teams to disaster zones when and where needed

Here's how it works:

When a natural disaster such as a cyclone, flood, or tornado occurs, a widespread disruption of electrical supply is often reported.

Assessment of damage is done in coordination with state government, EQL, Powerlink, and SES, and a plan of action is developed to provide targeted assistance to areas in greatest need.

EOIs are then sent out and crews are assembled in preparation for deployment equipment, PPE, accommodation, and support are all harnessed.

Flyers and social media posts are prepared at the office in preparation for roll out through community hubs, EQL crews, online posts, and government departments.

A designated hotline is established for affected community members to register for assistance

Days before deployment:

Flyers are distributed with the hotline number into affected communities.

The hotline number is activated, and calls begin to come in An allocated internal Dropbox is created for the specific deployment to register, screen if necessary, and coordinate jobs, identifying the nature of the damage and noting any potential issues affecting the task Jobs are signed off when completed or otherwise Social media posts are circulated. Media releases are issued

A final check on crew numbers and logistics is conducted

Day of deployment:

Crews assemble for a pre-deployment briefing, where they receive information packs and equipment, sunscreen, hats, stickers, PPE, insect repellent, and a list of important numbers

During deployment:

Crews work in small teams to complete allocated work in a methodical way, ensuring compliance and safety All work is signed off twice, one which is s legal requirement, the other is kept by the ETU as a record of the jobs completed and any issues identified Coordinators handle any issues that can't be resolved, with Energex and ESO on standby to assist with unacceptable risks identified Daily debriefs and discussions via face-to-face and WhatsApp ensure no worker feels unsupported.

New jobs are registered, added to the Dropbox, allocated, and completed

Crews are updated on any changes in plans, risks of inclement weather, etc , on a daily basis

Crews take before-and-after photos and photos of their work on the job.

Following deployment:

A debrief and thank-you function are held.

Tropical Cyclone Jasper: A Devastating Natural Disaster

Tropical Cyclone Jasper was expected to make landfall near Cairns as a Category 2 storm Despite initial predictions that it would be moderate, evacuation notices were issued for some low-lying areas in Cairns, residents were advised to prepare for a week of disruption, and supermarket shelves were emptied Unfortunately, Jasper ended up being far worse than anticipated

The storm system stopped and unleashed a deluge, with some areas along the Barron River receiving over 2000mm of rainfall Cairns City alone recorded nearly 1 000mm between December 13th and 18th This caused widespread property damage, washed away roads and infrastructure, and left many residents without power Ergon crews worked tirelessly to restore power and repair the damage, while the ETU launched Operation Energise to assist with the recovery effort The operation ran from December 28th to January 10th in the Cairns, Port Douglas, and Mossman areas

Bruce Humphreys is no stranger to the philosophy and processes of Operation Energise, having been a part of every deployment since the Brisbane floods in 2010/11, but for him this was one of the toughest “While they are all different, this one was a struggle at times, the oppressive heat and the thickness of the air, literally took my breath away. The importance of self-care and safety cannot be overstated But we persevered and got the job done we had a great crew We had me and my brother Cam who left a few days early to help the Gold Coast deployment, Chris Freudenberg, apprentices Jack Cardinal, Charlie Anne and Jay Pavitt all from Powerlink, along with two guns Christian and Drew from Perigon who did a massive job keeping the deployment on track.”

The devastation in some areas was very confronting for Bruce and the crew

“While much of our deployment was in and around Cairns, where the cleanup was swift, for areas to the north including Bloomfield and Yorkeys Knob it was almost total devastation, it was difficult seeing many struggling communities suffer so badly, so many were either renters or uninsured. Some areas around the Daintree and Wujul Wujul Indigenous Community were no-go zones due to the devastation and road restrictions Thankfully the federal and state governments have stepped in.”

“Some landmarks like the Bloomfield River have been changed forever, the river is now a rock chasm where the relentless rain wore away the riverbanks ”

Chris Freudenberg volunteered for his second Operation Energise, his first being 10 years ago after the Bundaberg floods of 2013 How did this operation compare with the Bundy experience?

“This time I was better prepared for what to expect, the damage was similar to Bundaberg, silty, dirty inundation caused by a slow moving system that dropped a huge amount of water There was very little wind damage it was mostly floodwaters”

While Bundaberg was localised to certain areas, the Cairns deployment required some significant travel

“Some of the worst hit suburbs were lower socio-economic areas along Cairns’ Northern beaches, up north to Port Douglas and the Daintree At times it was overwhelming seeing people’s possessions stacked up outside their homes in the gutter, they had lost everything”

Chris noted the initial reluctance of residents to avail themselves to the operation’s support, but once the word of mouth got out there, the requests for help came thick and fast.

“The first few days were a bit slow, we had people a bit wary, worried it was a scam, they’d say stuff like, ‘It can’t be free, nobody gets anything for free’ but once we did a few jobs and our pamphlets circulated through the community, the work rolled in ”

As has been said many times before about Operation Energise, it’s more than just going in and doing an electrical job, it’s also about providing hope and sometimes a literal shoulder to cry on.

“Some places you would walk in to and think ‘where the hell do I start,’ there is so much devastation, so we’d sit down with the person and have a chat, hear their stories and provide them with some rudimentary assistance Sometimes it would be as simple as letting them know it’s not as bad as they expected. Yes, they had 600ml of water come through, but we can get the lights on, and get the ceiling fans working, they can make a cup of tea and have a hot shower My shirts were always soaking wet with sweat mingled with the tears cried on my shoulder It is more than the physical help our trade provides, it’s the mental help we provide as well, it is an incredibly satisfying feeling to give back in this way.”

Chris and the crew heard many stories of survival but one that stuck in his mind was that of an older lady who awoke at 2am in the morning to a funny sound, only to find out her house was inundated with a foot of water; she contacted the SES and the police to be told it was too late she would need to look after herself.

“At 2 15am her house was inundated with two foot of water, that was how quick the water rose – a foot every 15 minutes. She climbed up on top of a bookcase and waited It was only the sound of water lapping at a tinny and a neighbour shouting out that saved her ”

“When we got to her house a few weeks later, nothing was working, we were able do the check, fix the lighting circuit, install a double power point in the switchboard and fix her hot water, so she could have a shower for the first time in weeks The tears flowed ”

Chris gives a big shout out to all the participants and supporters including Ergon Energy who he says was fantastic with resourcing While he was glad to be up there helping out, he’s glad to be home as well and his family agree.

Along with Chris and Bruce who have done it all before, there were also first timers like Perigon’s Drew Shields, based in Brisbane, who had never been to Cairns nor been in a flood event before

"I went up not knowing what to expect, but I had nothing on over the holidays, so I saw it as a good opportunity to use my skills to help people in need and see Cairns as well When I got there, I was shocked and overwhelmed by the devastation. To see empty houses and people’s whole lives out on the footpath was confronting "

But armed with his union values and a meaningful purpose to give something back, he got to work

"It was a great feeling to help out, even if it was just putting a GPO at the switchboard People were so thankful, saying things like 'If I had a fridge, I’d give you a cold beer '"

One of the enduring memories for Drew was the community spirit and resilience

"Even before we got there, people were helping each other out, taking care of the neighbours Many times we’d go into a house and the occupant would say 'I’m alright, go and help such and such up the road, they’re worse off than me,' even though they were pretty badly off themselves Yep, that stuck with me "

ETU

PRESIDENT JASON YOUNG ADDRESSES THE CREW

ASST.

SECRETARY STUEY TRAILL COORDINATED BOTH DEPLOYMENTS

The overall experience was a good one for Drew, but would he do it again?

"100% yes, it was a fantastic experience and really great opportunity for me to use my skills for good We also had such a fantastic crew; the Powerlink team was great to work with We all got on and we were all there for the right reasons."

Another first-timer, Powerlink's third-year apprentice, Jack Cardinal, reflected on his experience with Operation Energise. He said memories of the Brisbane floods along with the briefings from Cam and Bruce gave him a general idea of what to expect

“However, when we got out to Holloway's Beach and other affected areas and saw how much people were struggling my heart went out to them ”

“Overall, it was a meaningful, interesting and rewarding experience, which aligned with my union values of giving back to the community ”

When asked if he would pa "Yes "

NORTH QUEENSLAND

It’s been a fast start to 2024 in our region, and it doesn’t look like slowing down anytime soon! Wilmar put out their sub-standard offer late last year, it came as no surprise the result of the ballot came in with over 80% of the workforce voting down the proposed EBA

Even after the workforce sent the company a clear message with the result, Wilmar continue to bury their head in the sand, stating the offer was their best, and the company will not be increasing their position. While this multi-national corporation is enjoying record profits, boasting a profit well above $1 billion AUD last year, they are determined to push their workforce even further behind The tactics used by the company while the vote was being conducted was also appalling On the back of this behavior, the membership has been left with no choice but to submit a new list of added claims based purely around union encouragement clauses, and rights for representation in the workplace.

We are currently awaiting the company’s response to these added claims. What is even more concerning, despite the union’s best efforts, Wilmar have not conducted a face-to-face SBU meeting since the ballot result, only offering Teams meetings with strict protocols in place With the crushing season fast approaching, the patience of the membership wearing thin, and with union density throughout the mills severely increasing, it’s pretty clear where this is heading!

QSL’s negotiation process has also reached a stalemate. QSL also tried to force an agreement on their workforce at the end of last year which attacked the employee’s super contributions, if implemented, this would have seen some members thousands of dollars a year worse off In an attempt to get the vote over the line, the company even included some casuals who had not worked a shift at the terminals in 12 months or more, trying to sway them with a $1 000 sign-on bonus attached. Despite the company’s efforts, 92% of the workforce voted a clear NO to the proposed offer

Once we got back to the table, although we got close to reaching a deal, the company did not come up with an offer enticing enough to reach agreement Since then, a PAB application has been made, and the process continues

JBS negotiations are still ticking along, and we are awaiting the company to table some offers Incitec Pivot Limited at Mount Isa tried to implement a major change into the workplace, directing FIFO workers to start working ‘make-up hours’ with no additional payment, which was intended to cover the time they fly in The ETU, along with the AMWU, took this dispute to the commission, where we had a win The company immediately issued the NERR to begin negotiations. We suspect the company will be pushing hard to get the make-up hours outlined into the EBA.

The Townsville hospital is now kicking off the enabling works package, this package doesn’t involve a huge amount of electrical, and only a handful of sparkies will be needed Once that is complete, the main package will follow closely behind, and the job will really ramp up Once the main electrical contractor is confirmed, I will be sure to put out this information through the journals and the sub branch meetings.

Yurika have recently advertised 54 new positions based in Townsville. Yurika is a part of Energy Queensland and is onboarding for the accelerate Townsville smart metering rollout If anyone would like any assistance with applying for one of these positions, please contact me directly The new agreements for the Kidston pumped hydro & Greenvale military base are still being finalised, I will distribute updates on these as they come in.

Don’t forget, May Day is fast approaching It will be held down at Strand Park and is always a great family fun day out I encourage all members to come along Last year, the ETU took out the Tug-O-War title, and I’m sure a few other unions will be looking to take that crown off us this year Good luck to them!

I would also like to welcome Letisia, who has now started working admin in the Townsville ETU office Letisia has been working admin in Brisbane for the last 3 years, and now brings her knowledge and experience up to North Queensland The office will be open 8am - 4pm Monday to Friday If you need any assistance in paying your dues, membership updates, or purchasing merchandise, head into the office and see Letisia.

As always, if you have any questions about the above or need any assistance, please feel free to contact me directly

TOOWOOMBA

&SOUTHWESTQUEENSLAND

Toowoomba Hospital

Finally, we have positive news on the $1.3 billion Toowoomba Hospital (Baillie Henderson Site). Vegetation removal, bulk earth works and drilling/piling works have started and will continue through to the end of the year We are expecting a discission on who will be awarded the main electrical packages soon Electrical construction works are not expected of 2024.

Gatton Prison

Once again, ETU members on site have shown great generosity by helping raise over $50 000 for three families who tragically lost a loved one over the Christmas break.

We have just reached 250 ETU members onsite over the 14 electrical contractors and apprentice groups

DAMIAN HEWAT

With recent H.V. substation energisation onsite and L.V. switchboards and subsystems becoming live, it is ever important to ensure isolation and testing procedures are in place and relevant training has been undertaken. If any issues or concerns are not being addressed, please reach out to your HSRs and delegates for support

CS Energy Kogan Creek Power Station

The Kogan Creek Energy Facility EBA is nearing completion with the final draft of the proposed agreement access period running from 3 March to 12 March, and voting for the agreement to commence on the 14 March.

A massive thanks to ETU delegates and bargaining representatives Tom Sanderson and Braden Pantlin for all their time, effort and hard work to ensure a great outcome for all employees covered by this agreement

Toowoomba sub branch – upcoming dates:

- Friday 7th June

- Friday 6th September

- Friday 6th December

Times and guest speakers to be announced

GENERAL TRADE & MANUFACTURING

Nothing sweet about Coke

Coca-Cola regional members have been engaged in a protracted and difficult EBA negotiation and campaign for the simple claim to be paid the same, for the same work as their comrades in Southeast Queensland. This has involved members being told they would not be paid if they go to work and rolling stoppages for the best part of the past 10 weeks

Coke has been belligerent in demanding that they accept lesser wages and conditions simply because they live in regional areas.

It has been a tough campaign with most depots being isolated by distance from each other and only 2 to 4 members in each depot. But our members have been staunch and supporting each other, and with the support of their SEQ and interstate comrades as well We have had pickets targeting Coke’s customers The pressure 19 regional employees have brought to bare on a massive multi-national corporation has been phenomenal. We have engaged all the aspects of campaigning including

media, legal, industrial and community engagement The toughness of our members to stay strong despite isolation and the endless financial resources of their employer to demand to be paid and treated they way they deserve has been nothing short of inspiring. And we know with this kind of determination we will win in the end

DP World

As the ETU battles with Coke, we have also taken the fight up to the corporate owners of Dubai Ports. Our members have been engaged in rolling strikes and stoppages affecting the Brisbane port. Again, a relatively small number of specialised qualified electricians can have a disproportionate impact on even the biggest multi-national corporations when they stand together and demand a fair outcome. After all the attention going to our larger-on-site comrades at the MUA and many false starts, we are now negotiating an outcome that all parties can be happy with. Staunch determination will always win the day!

LIFT & GOLD COAST

Gold Coast

Now that everyone is back into the swing of things, I just wanted to introduce myself as the Gold Coast organiser, coming into this role, the focus will be continuing the momentum with delegate structures, and welcoming new delegates in the contracting space. There has been no better time to build activism, with projects ranging from Beenleigh to the Tweed. I’ll be focusing on making sure we have a well-built delegate structure on the Coast.

This is built off the back of sub branches and regular monthly delegate meetings which have been up and running since last year

While I’m on this topic, how about the first Gold Coast Youth Crew m in

GOLD COAST YOUTH CREW COMMITTEE

Th sc nd th ab m p g Executive which is the decision making body of our union.

I would also like to mention May Day on the Gold Coast which is

Sunday 5 May at 9:30am at Pratten Park North, Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach. Bring your family along and celebrate the wins we have had as a union movement, for me it’s “Union Christmas,” a great time to celebrate with family and friends.

GOLD COAST YOUTH CREW

LIFT SUB BRANCH

Lift Industry

We’re looking at a busy year ahead for the lift industry – with KONE, Schindler, and TKE EBAs all expiring this year. With work in the lift industry at a peak, now is the time to push for improved wages and conditions. Some key focus points to consider for the log of claims (LOC) is income protection, increased super, all overtime at double time, wage increases in line with industry standard, multi-storey allowance to be included from commencement of project, increase in site allowance to align with projects over 800 million, and improved clauses around sub-contractors and labour hire.

The Kone NEB/TRB negotiations have kicked off, so by the time the next journal article goes to print, I would like to be able to say that members have achieved an agreement. I’ve had meetings with Kone members, and they have endorsed Protected Industrial Action through this process as the recent company offer was not what they wanted to entertain

Some key dates for the lift industry sub branch are:

• Gold Coast – 4pm 20 November

• Brisbane – 4pm June 5 / 4pm 11 September

By moving the Lift sub branch across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, there is no excuse for members not to attend Come along, especially leading into agreements that are due to expire, and work as a collective to make sure no members are left behind.

In unity

BROTHERS IN ARMS

IAN AND GEOFF LEGGAT HAVE 80 YEARS OF

ETU

MEMBERSHIP BETWEEN THEM

Ian and Geoff Leggat, with 80 years of continual ETU membership and more than 90 years of industry experience between them, epitomise the history of our great union and the resilience of our trade Raised in a proud Labor, union household in suburban Brisbane, the brothers have experienced the highs and lows that come with being an electrical worker and ETU member For Ian, memories of the SEQEB dispute still linger, while Geoff recalls “ruffling feathers” taking on Inghams and emerging victorious

Pride in being a financial member of the union runs deep among members, and for Geoff, it meant continuing to pay union dues for 4 years after his retirement in 2019 He wanted to achieve the 50-year financial membership milestone, one of his proudest moments. Despite the challenges and achievements that the electrical industry has thrown at Ian, including the bitterness of the SEQEB dispute and the peace and tranquillity of Hamilton Island, both brothers remain Proudly Union and Proudly ETU Take a glimpse into their journey and enjoy their story

EARLY YEARS, BRISSY BACKYARDS, SPORT, POLITICS, AND THE UNION

Geoff and Ian’s parents Wilfred (Bill) and Joan both grew up in Brisbane, their first home after marriage was in Bulimba, they then built a home in Morningside which would be the family home for many years where both boys have fond childhood memories of playing in creeks, bushland and paddocks, and holding impromptu cricket matches with the kids in the neighbourhood. Good times and lifelong friends. At school, both Geoff and Ian enjoyed sport, Geoff’s passion was rugby league and swimming, not cricket (“couldn’t bat, couldn’t bowl”) but does remember taking a “sizzling catch in the slips, which brought some short-lived attention to my limited skills ” While Ian was more of an all-round sportsperson enjoying cricket, league, soccer, running, swimming, hockey and Aussie rules, but his favourite was cricket. “I was better at the others, but I loved cricket ”

Ian, at 63, is the youngest of Bill and Joan’s four sons while Geoff, 70, is the second youngest they have two older brothers, Paul, 74, and Ralph, 72 Their grandad Richard Leggat was a Pattern Maker, heavily involved in his union and the Labor Party, and ran unsuccessfully for election in the state seat of Logan in 1929 Later in his career he was appointed the Queensland Commissioner for Apprentices Bill and his siblings Richard (Dick) and Violet were strong advocates for Labor values. There was often political comment in the home, it was very much a Labor household Ian remembers a discussion in a tinny while fishing on the Logan River about a subject still topical today. “During Whitlam's second term, my dad and uncle Dick were discussing the virtue of wage claims trying to keep up with high inflation ”

During our discussion, Geoff pulled out an old ETU membership book and showed me the details – it’s his dad’s from when he first signed up back on 10 Jul 1943.

Geoff and Ian fondly recall their father's advice to "join your union" or, more accurately, “you’d be stupid not to be in a union,” as a testament to Bill and Joan's strong support of union values Bill's electrical career spanned across the City Electrical Light Company, Brisbane City Council, and SEQEB, where he served as an electrician fitter mechanic, linesperson, control room operator, and lines foreman, and finally being appointed Taringa depot manager about seven years before retiring at 60, just 18 months before the bitter SEQEB dispute Although he never imposed his career choice on his sons, Geoff reckons that his father's profession might have subconsciously influenced his career path. Despite his school guidance counsellor’s suggestion to pursue a career as radio or TV technician, Geoff knew that he wanted to be an electrical worker since he was seven or eight years old. He left school at year ten and began his journey as an electrician for the next 50 or so years

IAN’S PATH TO THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY

Ian was 7 years Geoff’s junior and looked up to his older brother “It’s fair to say I idolised him growing up, I took the same classes and options he had taken, I reckon he had a bit to do with me becoming an electrician.”

“Geoff is one of the world’s greatest gentlemen and is dear to me, he has always supported me during any union action or involvement and I hope he feels I have supported him We have marched together on many a May Day.”

“I have enormous respect for Ian and what he has been through and is going through, I love marching on May Day together and catching up when we can. I enjoy it when we march into the showgrounds and all the Labor luminaries clap and cheer us on, Julia Gillard, Penny Wong, Bill Shorten, Annastacia, it’s a great feeling.”

After completing school, Ian wasn't interested in attending university or working in an office. Instead, he preferred to earn money while pursuing a trade. Electrical and plumbing were his top choices. After taking entrance exams for both trades, he was offered four different apprenticeships He chose to work with SEQEB. The 1978 apprentice intake at SEQEB had 62 young men, including Ian. SEQEB provided excellent training in manual skills and electrical theory at its training school, which gave Ian and his peers an advantage in their TAFE studies until it came to house wiring practicals and exams.

Ian completed his apprenticeship in February 1982, but there weren't enough positions available at SEQEB for all the new journeymen. So, he trained to become a linesman at the Oxley Depot and added linesman to his Electrical Fitter Mechanic tickets.

“I had more fun working as a liney than in any job before or since, and should have continued as a liney for more than the 2 and a bit years that I did before taking an Electrical Fitters job at Taringa Depot.”

FAMILY MATTERS

Both Ian and Geoff take pride in being dedicated family men. When asked about their personal highlights, they both prioritise their family

Ian's wife, Leanne, has been by his side for 43 years since they met at a new nightclub at the Colmslie Hotel in May 1980 Together, they have two children – 33 year old Callum, a police officer, and 31 year old Kaitlin, a nurse, wife to Zac, and mother to two-year-old Magnolia. Ian has also recently taken on the role as primary caregiver for his wife Leanne as she battles health issues. Ian also cares for Magnolia one day a week.

Geoff has been married to Raylene for almost 50 years, and they share two children – Amanda and Kurt. They also have three grandchildren – 8year-old Audrey, 5-year-old Maple, and step-grandson Dylan, who is 20 years old

For both brothers, family is a top priority. Geoff takes on the “poppy” responsibility of looking after Maple twice a week and Audrey after school. "It keeps me busy, but I thoroughly enjoy the time. It's great that they live only five minutes away from us."

CAREER TAKES SHAPE - UNION MATTERS, GEOFF’S JOURNEY

Geoff completed his apprenticeship with Ramsay Engineering based in Morningside in April 1973 Once out of his time and armed with his dad’s advice he joined the ETU, he also stayed on with Ramsay’s for a year to get experience. The work was interesting and varied, including working on a 22km conveyor belt from Moura to Kianga Geoff reckons one of the memorable experiences was working on a shutdown at the Collinsville Power Station. “The place would be humming, but when it went silent, you could hear a pin drop, it was so eerie ”

After Ramsay’s, Geoff took up work in and around Brisbane with various large and small contractors, including Kilpatrick Green, O’Donnel Griffin, Norris and 4 years at Redlands Electrical. But his union journey took off when he started working with Inghams Chickens for 15 years and later with Brisbane City Council for 18 years, where, in his role as delegate at both, he would be involved in some memorable blues. While he retired in 2019, he kept paying his union dues until he reached his 50-year financial membership milestone in 2023

When asked his biggest influence on his career and union values, after thinking for a while, he says his dad and later his father-in-law “As I said earlier about dad, he didn’t push us to be this or that, I knew what I wanted to be, but he was still a big influence. Also, because I worked at small contractors or was one of a few sparkies in most jobs earlier on, I didn’t really have any mentors, later I was more of an influence on others I think.”

But when it came to union values and ethics, Geoff gives a big mention to his father-in-law, proud unionist and pro boxer Dick White. “He was a massive influence on my union values, he was a staunch unionist, having been a member of the Metal Workers and the Painters and Dockers and others. When I started going out with Raylene, I was left with no doubt as to where his politics stood, and if I wasn’t with him, I may as well piss off ”

WHAT DOES BEING ETU MEAN TO YOU?

“Strength in numbers and having the power to make a difference ”

“I remember when I was at Ramsay’s, The ETU was fighting for changes in Contracting Industry, we had a mass meeting and up on the stage was the who’s, who of ETU and ALP influence at the time; Ray Dempsey, Nic Bos and Nev Warburton and others, you felt supported, and you knew you had a strong voice ”

Ian can recall a time when being in the union made a tangible difference.

Geoff takes up the story...

“I was working for a small company out at Manly West with six employees, we knew the boss had a gambling problem. One day we turned up to work to find the boss had disappeared and the Public Trustee was on site telling us the company had folded, our entitlements were in limbo As a member of the ETU, I gave them a ring and we had an organiser down to help me calculate what I was owed and make a claim, and also make sure I got my group certificate for tax returns etc, without the union I would have been shafted for sure.”

TAKING ON THE CHICKEN KINGS AND WINNING TWO MEMORABLE UNION VICTORIES

In the first case, Inghams, after reaching agreement with the meatworkers, assumed that their maintenance employees would accept changes to how Show Day Holiday was taken without any consultation or discussion. However, members protested this change embarking on a campaign of protected industrial action After a few weeks of action including picket lines along with support from the AMWU, and a visit to the Commission, victory was secured, and Inghams dropped their proposal

“Our argument was always that we were different, we already worked a span of Monday – Saturday and any watering down of our public holiday rights would impact on our family time. After weeks of action, and a visit to the Commission, we won ”

“I can remember the local boss saying, ‘Jack and Bob have never had an industrial dispute; they will come for you ’ I just said no mate, they will come for you - you let it happen.”

In the second case, Brisbane City Council (BCC) tried to add a clause about ‘flexible rostering’ arrangements in their negotiations for a new EBA. This could have resulted in ETU members being rostered for permanent night shifts or any other days and times deemed necessary by the council without agreement, all they had to do was give notice. The proposed change not only affected ETU members but also had the potential to impact on 5000 other workers

“We weren’t going to cop that, so we voted to take low level Protected Industrial Action, paperwork bans and no processing of billing etc Once we started the action, council locked 21 of us out, while lying to the media saying we were on strike.”

“I remember getting a call from my boss saying ‘Geoff, you are not required to attend work on Monday’. I said so you are locking me out, he said no, you’re just not required for work, please return your vehicle to the office. I said so I’m locked out then… he just repeated the script, it was bizarre”.

Members took their action to the streets with rolling roadside protests outside the Kedron Council Depot and directly to town hall, drawing community support and media attention Later on, up to 400 AMWU members joined the dispute, voting up their own Protected Action. After 16 days on the grass, Council finally relented and removed the ‘flexible rostering’ provision from their EBA proposal “It was a satisfying win that protected hard won conditions and the right to be consulted.”

With over 50 years of experience in the electrical industry, Geoff has seen numerous changes that have impacted the field. While some of these changes, such as better personal protective equipment and occupational health and safety regulations, have been useful, others have been more disruptive.

Geoff reckons that new technologies, such as iPads with countless applications, have not always been advantageous. Instead, they can be time-consuming and distracting. Although he became proficient at using the fundamental features, such as logging jobs and time, he remains a Luddite when it comes to the overall benefits. “I hated the iPads. I’m technologically challenged, my little granddaughter Maple wanted to watch something on TV and I said I can’t seem to find it, she said ‘oh, you need to subscribe to watch that show Poppy’. What’s that? I said.”

On a more serious note, of significant concern to Geoff during his 18 years at BCC relate to the outsourcing of trade work and the shift from permanent employment to contractor and casual arrangements. These changes have had far-reaching negative implications for the workforce

OUTSIDE OF WORK

Proudest personal moments?

“Family and achieving the 50 years financial membership of the Union. I kept paying dues until I reached that milestone ” What’s your favourite thing to do to relax?

“Spending time with family, fishing and golf, although my wife is better at fishing than I am and my golf is pretty ordinary, until a couple of months ago when I got 92 off the stick, sinking a putt for birdie on the 18th and finishing the day after handicap on 59 net! I used to enjoy playing and refereeing touch football for many years as well.”

Favourite holiday destinations?

“Burrum Heads – been going up there for many years, with mates and family. Since retiring, we have done a fair few overseas trips, and heading away again in March to Southern Europe and the UK in August ”

What is something your mates wouldn’t know about you – that you are comfortable sharing!

“Nothing really, what you see is what you get although I recently found out I share the nickname ’Padre’ with my brother Ralph, while my dad had a nickname of the Bishop – we think it might be associated with the family motto...

Latin - Jesus hominum salvatore

Translation: Jesus. The saviour of mankind.”

Also, my first fishing tinny was called Knot For Sail I didn’t name it, but it stuck.

IAN’S JOURNEY

SEQEB’S BITTER TASTE, BACK ON TRACK, TROPICAL TRANQUILITY, AND ONWARDS AND UPWARDS

It’s 1985 Both Ian and Leanne are working for SEQEB, with Ian at the Taringa depot and Leanne in the company’s head office. Within months their working lives were thrown into turmoil, leaving a bitter legacy.

“The SEQEB dispute in 1985 was tragic for everyone involved except maybe the Queensland Nationals/Liberal Government. Prior to our sacking, I'd never considered leaving My wife Leanne also worked for SEQEB, at head office. The dispute was really tough on her, having to put up with the propaganda put out by SEQEB and the government, about the sacked workers, and her being grilled by management about my activities. We'd had a mortgage for 18 months and it was very tough on us mentally and financially. There were lots of hard and distasteful decisions taken by both groups, scabs and strikers, sometimes ending in tragedy for some families.”

“Although the ETU had given us significant support, I knew my wife and I had to extricate ourselves, as we were really struggling with what looked like a hopeless position for the sacked workers.”

Ian also acknowledges the support his family showed during this tough time including brother Geoff. It was sobering to think this was happening to union members

Making the decision to move on left Ian bouncing from job to job until he landed a position with Comeng building electric locomotives for the Queensland coalfields, the job gave Ian and Leanne some breathing space for 2 years until the contract ended and Ian took a redundancy.

In July 1988, Ian was unexpectedly offered the role of running the Powerhouse Department on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays. Leanne joined him nine weeks later securing a job responsible for tracking and accounting for all air and sea freight shipped to the island.

Alongside this position, Ian was also the resort maintenance manager for ten months during his six-year tenure. Ian’s department provided power generation and maintained the 11kv distribution system, while also providing electrical support for water and sewerage treatment and pumping, marina power, airport lighting and navigation beacons, and most importantly, the lifts in the four hi-rise buildings. The job was a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in a broad range of electrical work.

“Hamilton Island was awesome for us, we left behind the bitterness of the SEQEB dispute, our son Callum was born in July 1990, and our daughter Kaitlin arrived in August 1992, both were natural conceptions after years of fertility treatment, we were blessed ”

After six years of living in paradise, Ian and the family made the decision to return to the mainland After hitting up some contacts, Ian got a start with Otis Elevator Co. based in Brisbane bringing them back home for better or worse. Ian rejoined the ETU in 1994 and remained with Otis for 29 years and worked as a service lift mechanic in the suburbs for 28 years before finally retiring in July 2023.

BIGGEST INFLUENCES

Throughout Ian’s career, he had some fantastic mentors who helped him climb the ladder of success. Here are some of the people who have had a significant impact on his working life:

Jimmy Murray and Cyril Pratt L/H lineys, who literally taught Ian the ropes Don Smith: Ian’s manager at Hamilton Island, provided guidance and support when he needed it most. Michael Herriman was a wise and knowledgeable mentor at Otis, who progressed from Shop Steward to Safety Officer and eventually Ian’s Supervisor

Ian’s greatest mentor was a man ten years his junior, Dean Southon. “He taught me the intricacies of the role, was a good Shop Steward, always lent a hand when I was struggling and ended up being my L/H for many years. He’S had a great influence on my life and is a great friend.”

When it came to organisers, Ian says Keith McKenzie, stands out. He had the pleasure of serving on an EBA committee with Macca at Otis. “I loved the way Macca operated, a very disarming, astute and influential figure.”

THE BROTHERS WITH ETU ORGANISER SCOTT REICHMAN

WHAT I LIKED MOST ABOUT MY JOB

“Working as a lift service guy for 28 years, the autonomy to run your own show and bring your personality is a freedom many workers don't get The sharing of ideas and friendship at smoko with my workmates Priceless. This is something I sorely miss now that I'm retired. I did after hours call work at Otis for many years which meant we could afford for my wife to be a stay-at-home mum when the kids were school age. It was a job that ticked many of the boxes that a family requires.”

BEING ETU MEANS...

“Setting the standards, the benchmarks of work conditions, pay rates and safe work practices for those in the industry who are less fortunate or less enlightened than the average ETU member.”

CHANGES OVER THE YEARS

“Self-regulation on the surface is more affordable, but at what cost. Workplace Health and Safety changes made in the 90s have had a big and largely positive effect in making workplaces safer ”

Ian reckons EBAs have been a game changer for some. “A good thing for members of strong unions, but some unions have missed the opportunity to deliver more fully for their members.”

MEMORABLE UNION WINS

36 hr week at SEQEB, 9 day fortnight at Comeng & 36 hr week at Otis.

YOUR RIGHTS AT WORK - MOST IMPORTANT UNION VICTORY

“The ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign was the most important union movement victory I've been involved in. We rolled John Howard and Work Choices What a grub, with grubby tactics he used against waterside workers, Tampa, all sea-borne refugees and of course, Work Choices. He was an embarrassment for this nation.”

CHALLENGES FACED...

“By far the biggest was the SEQEB dispute, everything else pales into insignificance “It left a bitter taste for sure We didn’t win it and I became disillusioned for a while, letting my membership lapse when I was on Hamilton Island – something I now regret.”

PROUDEST PERSONAL MOMENT...

Apart from family… When Ian was President of the Wynnum North State High School P&C, he and the Principal represented the school on an important committee advocating for better schools in the area.

It's Ian’s belief that their representations and negotiations were instrumental in securing agreement to build the new Brisbane Bayside State College, which came to fruition in due course. A proud achievement.

IAN’S FAVOURITE WAY TO RELAX

“I love to grab my kayak and paddle with friends to a bay island, sit on a beach and look back at Brisbane, it looks so close, but feels a million miles away “

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION

“I'm now a carer for my wife who has a serious illness, so I haven't had a decent holiday for years, but I find I'm yearning for a simple beach holiday at Rainbow Bay on the Gold Coast.”

SOMETHING MY MATES WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT ME

“My promising military career as an Air Cadet in the Australian Air Training Corps came to a screeching halt when I failed a promotion course at Amberley Air Base. Apparently, I wasn't great at shouting commands at people... Oh well...it helped me decide the Air Force wasn't for me.”

IN CONCLUSION

As I reflect on the hour or so I spent with the two brothers, the way they bounced off each other, memories and discussions flowed freely, laughter and tinges of sadness can be heard when they discuss tough topics but one thing for sure the mutual respect and love they have for each other is never far from the surface

They truly are brothers in arms.

ETU MERCH SCAN

NUCLEAR

IF NUCLEAR IS THE ANSWER, WE’RE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION

The ETU's Stance on Nuclear Energy

The Electrical Trades Union opposes all aspects of the nuclear energy cycle except for nuclear medicine due to concerns about safety and cost. We also consider nuclear technology's impact on peace, ownership, oversight, and transparency.

The ETU opposes the notion that nuclear power is the ultimate solution for decarbonising society. We believe that politicians and industry groups promoting nuclear power have ulterior motives, and instead, we advocate for the acceleration of investment in renewable energy systems and a just transition for workers.

The following six reasons demonstrate why nuclear power is not suitable for a green and peaceful zero carbon future:

Nuclear power plants are dangerous and vulnerable to terrorist threats, airplane crashes, cyberattacks, and military conflict The enclosures of nuclear plants and certain ancillary buildings containing radioactive materials are not designed to withstand such attacks or shocks Nuclear reactors and their associated high level spent fuel stores are also vulnerable to natural disasters.

Nuclear power plants are some of the most complex and sensitive industrial installations, requiring a very complex set of resources to keep them operational. This cannot be guaranteed in times of military conflict or climate crisis, which can weaken the cooling of power plants and equipment An excellent case study into the long-lasting negative impacts of the toxic nuclear industry can be found in the report ‘Sellafield Nuclear nightmare ’

Nuclear energy is expensive compared to other sources of energy

The cost of generating solar power ranges from $36 to $44 per megawatthour (MWh), while onshore wind power comes in at $29–$56 per MWh.

Nuclear energy costs between $112 and $189 per MWh

Nuclear energy is slow to implement Since 2009, the average construction time for reactors worldwide was just under 10 years. The extra time that nuclear plants take to build has major implications for climate goals, as existing fossil-fuelled plants continue to emit CO2 while awaiting substitution.

Nuclear energy generates huge amounts of toxic waste The multiple stages of the nuclear fuel cycle produce large volumes of radioactive waste. No government has yet resolved how to safely manage this waste, which is highly radioactive and will remain so for several thousand years

The nuclear industry has been falling short of its wild promises. The EPR pressurised water nuclear reactor technology has sustained multiple problems, delays and cost overruns in France, the UK, Finland and China. Hypothetical new nuclear power technologies have been promised to be the next big thing for the last forty years, but despite massive public subsidies, that prospect has never panned out, there are only two Small Modular Reactor Units in use in the world (SMRs are the preferred model for the LNP) As recently as November, CSIRO economist Paul Graham pointed to the collapse of a major deal this year involving the most advanced SMR projects in the US, which were withdrawn because of soaring costs A new CSIRO report shows wind and solar are much cheaper than nuclear, even with integration costs

FURTHER READING

The evidence is in plain sight: if nuclear is the answer, we are clearly asking the wrong questions.

It is more important than ever that we steer away from false solutions and leave uranium in the ground and nuclear power in the past.

Who’s Who in the Nuclear Zoo

The Intersection of Nuclear Power, Politics and Philanthropy

The latest attempts to promote nuclear power as a supposed means of reducing emissions have brought together some surprising actors: rightwing politicians who deny climate change and progressive philanthropists who advocate for climate action. However, the issue of replacing aging nuclear power plants in countries with established nuclear industries is a complex and contentious one, often influenced by political ideology (with politicians on the right being pro-nuclear, and on the left, anti-nuclear). While some countries, including the mega-rich UAE, are exploring the possibility of launching a civilian nuclear industry from scratch, questions about the safety and cost of these endeavours remain.

During the 28th UN COP Conference, officials from 198 countries met in the UAE to establish guidelines for implementing the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions The conference president, who was also the CEO of the UAE's state oil company, was criticised for expressing climate denial remarks, leading to a conflict of interest. Leaked documents revealed the UAE planned to increase oil and gas deals, despite the president's denial of such allegations.

It is in this context that the pro-nuclear, loosely anti-UN, climate denialist LNP hung their hat on a poorly supported declaration to triple nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050, urging Australia to sign up to the declaration

The 22 nations that supported the push were a mixed bag of ranging from USA to Moldova, each with their own reasons for expansion USA, France, and UK all have ageing nuclear reactors and high reliance on it as a power source, strong links to nuclear lobbyists, and are nuclear weapon producers Then you have the legacy Warsaw Pact countries and states where the former USSR exerted significant influence including Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Mongolia and Moldova Others like Ghana and Morrocco currently don’t have nuclear power, while Japan is still grappling with the Fukushima fallout, the Republic of Korea, which fluctuates between support and phase out, The Netherlands’ (with no existing industry) support fluctuates according to politics, as does Sweden’s, which is now seeking to expand with the election of a right-wing government Finland and Slovenia both have existing nuclear power plants, as does Canada, and you guessed it, the UAE, which has built four new reactors and wants to have nuclear produce 25% of its energy

Notably, Germany, often used as an example by nuclear proponents, along with 13 other states that currently have nuclear power, did not sign up to the declaration Neither did Russia, India, or China In contrast, 120 nations supported the pledge to triple the world’s renewable energy within 7 years

Thee LNP’s disingenuous link between Nuclear power and greenhouse gas reductions is nothing but a dangerous PR diversion.

Masayoshi Iyoda, a Japanese campaigner working with the campaign group 350.org, said that “dangerous nuclear power” is a risky diversion and cannot hasten the decarbonisation required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement

“The attempt of a ‘nuclear renaissance’ led by nuclear industries’ lobbyists since the 2000s has never been successful - it is simply too costly, too risky, too undemocratic, and too time-consuming,” he argued. “We already have cheaper, safer, democratic, and faster solutions to the climate crisis, and they are renewable energy and energy efficiency ” The group also highlighted the Fukushima nuclear disaster as an ongoing example of the dangers of nuclear power.

Climate deniers see silver cash lining in nuclear option

Like tobacco lobbyists and their ilk, proponents of nuclear power come from a base of ‘tell a lie long enough and people will believe it’, hence the latest barrage of bullshit from the LNP, who for 10 long years, navalgazed among themselves regarding whether human-induced climate change was actually real Who could forget the infamous former PM Tony Abbot’s quip, “climate change is crap” or Morrison’s coal comfort prop in the chamber, or even Bananaby Joyce who observed that climate change must be fixed “because it’s bucketing down in regional NSW ”

Well, the party of climate sceptics and conspiracy theorists have now had an epiphany: not only is climate change real, but the only way, I repeat, the only way to get to net zero by 2050 is through the development of a

REFLECTIONS FROM PALESTINE

In July last year, I was given the opportunity to travel to Palestine as part of a unions 7-day study tour organised by Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) and Union Aid AbroadAPHEDA

Over the brief time I spent in Occupied Palestinian Territory I saw state violence, apartheid and oppression through the lens of a privileged observer, and it made me feel unsafe. I can only imagine the feeling of going through what I observed day in, day out, as a Palestinian Check points, armed visa and passport checks, the grotesque apartheid wall, and having a fully armed Israeli soldier training his semi-automatic at me as I meandered through the historic streets of Jerusalem’s Old City are seared in my memory.

It is my view that the lack of international condemnation of Israel’s continual denial of Palestinian human rights, through its brutal occupation of Palestine and its people, in direct

nuclear industry in Australia, using yet to be tested or completed ultra expensive Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs). Like the second coming of christ, SMRs will solve all our problems, they say

The facts are far more sobering, it’s expensive, untested, unsafe and a distraction from actually decarbonising the country

The next generation of small nuclear reactors being advocated by the LNP would raise electricity prices, slow the uptake of renewables, and introduce new risks from nuclear waste, according to a report from the Australian Conservation Foundation.

The report from the conservation group has found only two small modular reactors (SMRs) are known to be operating around the world, in Russia and China, and both have seen large cost blowouts

Promoters of nuclear energy, the report claims, were pinning their hopes on technology that was “uncertain and unproven”

CSIRO EXPOSES LNP’S NUCLEAR MADNESS

CSIRO says wind and solar much cheaper than nuclear, even with added integration costs... The CSIRO has published the latest edition of its important GenCost report and responded to critics by dialling in near term integration costs for wind, solar and storage But the result is just the same – renewables are clearly Australia’s cheapest energy option, and the story for nuclear just got a whole lot worse.

READ MORE

Stop Press 8th March 2024!

Dutton’s nuclear madness goes large scale SMRs take a backseat to largescale nuclear power plants in Dutton’s latest thought bubble. Read the Renew Economy’s searing article on the issue published on March 9.

READ THE ARTICLE

contravention of international law, has enabled extremism to flourish on both sides.

The reprisals from Israel after the Hamas attacks from Gaza on October 7 which saw 1200 Israeli citizens killed and hostages taken has seen innocent Palestinian people facing untold horrors with more than 30 000 deaths in Gaza, including more than 12000 infants, while in the West Bank, Israeli settler violence and illegal land grabs have escalated This is not proportionate; this is collective punishment and genocide. We must do all we can to push for lasting peace, recognise the Palestinian state, and support a permanent ceasefire

When I left on my trip to Palestine, I knew I was entering into a war zone, an occupation You can find more about my experience by following the link to a booklet I have published about my experience.

Andrew

40 YEARS OF MAKING HARD WORK PAY OFF

The national super fund for your industry Cbus Super is the industry super fund for more than 910,000 workers who help shape Australia, no matter what their industry Created in 1984 by workers for workers, we manage around $90 billion in members’ funds* making us one of the largest super funds in Australia

Despite our size, we haven’t forgotten where we came from and why we’re here We are a proud industry super fund, representing hard-working Australians

Through strong long-term returns#, competitive fees, and investing back into the sectors where our members work, we help our members’ hard work pay off in their retirement.

Protecting what really matters

We understand the real risk of serious injury to workers in energy, building, construction and other allied industries That’s why we offer affordable default insurance options designed for your industry and provide cover for jobs that other funds may not.

We’re one of only a handful of funds that provides default Dangerous Occupation Exemption (DOE) cover for workers in dangerous occupations to help ensure young workers, and/or workers with a superannuation account balance less than $6,000 are provided with the opportunity to hold appropriate insurance cover for their occupation.

A total of 212,265 Cbus Super members, as of 30 June 2023, have either retained insurance cover or been provided automatic cover under this exemption This critical protection for Cbus Super members has proven a valuable benefit A total of $58 6 million (467 claims) has been paid to Cbus Super members or their families/ beneficiaries between 1 April 2020 and 30 June 2023 that would not have received any insurance, had the exception not been passed into legislation

The key benefits of being a Cbus Super member

We’re committed to building a brighter future for our members, so we have a host of benefits when you join us:

We invest in the energy and building sectors through Cbus Property

Strong long-term investment performance#

Choice of investment options

Competitive fees and a focus on maximising member retirement outcomes

Insurance built for your industry

Help when and where you need it with our Advice Services and Coordinator teams

Local Cbus coordinators

In Queensland, we have six dedicated coordinators available to visit your workplace to provide information and general advice on super.

Depending on your workplace preference, you could have a group information session or have individual questions/issues answered onsite

This onsite service is available to Cbus Super members at no cost. For your local Cbus Super Coordinator’s details visit cbussuper com au/qld

We’re here to help:

If you have any questions, we can help Call us on 1300 361 784 or visit cbussuper.com.au

*Asat31January2024.

#TheCbusGrowth(MySuper)investmentoptionhasdeliveredareturnof889%pa since inceptionin1984to30June2023.Investmentperformanceisbasedonthecreditingrate,whichis thereturnminusinvestmentfees,taxesanduntil31January2020,thepercentage-based administrationfee.Excludesfeesandcoststhatarededucteddirectlyfrommembers'accounts. Pastperformanceisn'tareliableindicatoroffutureperformance

CbusPropertyPtyLtdisawholly-ownedentityofCbusSuperandisresponsibleforthe developmentandmanagementofaportfolioofCbusSuper’spropertyinvestments.Formore informationaboutCbusProperty,visitcbuspropertycomau

Insuranceisissuedunderagrouppolicywithourinsurer,TALLifeLimitedABN70050109450AFSL 237848.

ThisinformationisaboutCbusSuper.Itdoesn’taccountforyourspecificneeds.Pleaseconsider yourfinancialposition,objectivesandrequirementsbeforemakingfinancialdecisions Readthe relevantProductDisclosureStatement(PDS)andTargetMarketDeterminationtodecideifCbus Superisrightforyou Call1300361784orvisitcbussupercomau

UnitedSuperPtyLtdABN46006261623AFSL233792astrusteefortheConstructionandBuilding UnionsSuperannuationFund(Cbusand/orCbusSuper)

SUNSHINE COAST

G’day Comrades,

There is fair bit going on over the next couple years on the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay, the Queensland state government is investing heavily in infrastructure over the next decade which is all good news for anyone in the electrical industry.

Torbanlea Downers Rail Facility

Downer has the contract to build the new facility at Torbalea which will build the 58 train sets for the 2032 Olympic games. Downer has contracted the construction of the facility to John Holland and Klenner Murphy has the electrical contract on site. So far, the plan is to build a camp and do the contraction build on a 10 and 4 roster. It will be the Klenner Murphy Queensland Union Agreement that will govern wages and conditions on site, and they probably won’t be looking to get many sparkies there until the end of May, maybe later, given the weather we have had lately

The other part of this project, the actual train building, is a joint venture between Hyundai Rotom and Downer Given this is all Queensland government money that is being spent, the whole build should have been built under the BPICs agreement the unions have in place with the government, the Best Practice Industry Conditions So far, we have learnt that Downer is struggling to comply with BPICs and it will be up to the unions and our members to put pressure on Downer to ensure that best rates and conditions apply to the train build and provide good secure jobs for the local community, as well as Indigenous employment opportunities At this point in time, we have concerns that Downer and Hyandai Rotom will contract out some of this work to businesses that have no interest in unions or good pay and conditions.

Woodford Prison

The Queensland government is building a new youth detention center adjacent to the current Woodford prison This will be another big project in the area and Watpac has already started site establishment works. An electrical contractor has not been awarded yet, but it will be a BPICs project and will have our Best Practice Industry Conditions on that site.

MAY DAY SUNSHINE COAST 2024

Bundaberg Hospital

At the time of writing this, CPB (the builder) has come across some trees on this site that were of significant importance to the local Indigenous community I believe they have now mapped the site and that construction work will resume later this year. This will be another project that will fall under BPICs and provide good pay and conditions for locals.

Borumba Dam Pumped Hydroelectric Generation Project

The Queensland government is looking to achieve its 70% renewable energy target by 2032 as part of its $62 billion Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan. The Borumba Dam Pumped Hydro Project is set to be one of the biggest pumped hydro projects in the southern hemisphere, and once again is providing good wages and conditions during the construction phase which should last a couple of years. This will be another BPICs project. It does not look like it is going to start any time soon, as there will have to be road upgrades before construction can start.

New Organiser

Given the forecasted growth of construction work in our region and the amount of work coming up in the power transmission and supply sector, we have employed a new organiser Scott Sologinkin is a long-term senior delegate from Ergon, and has come across to pick up Wide Bay and south of Gladstone. His knowledge and existing contacts in the power industry makes him a good fit for the role, as the electrical supply industry section of our union is set to grow past 5 500 members if it hasn’t already by the time of publishing. There’s plenty of work to be done building new transmission lines down the east coast of Queensland to connect to the new renewable energy projects. We are looking at a massive amount of work over the next ten years and we will need to be on the front foot to recruit and organise new members, and grow our union.

As always, look after yourselves and each other I have had to deal with a few incidences of members with poor mental health due to pressures at work or external factors. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone if you need support or just a chat Hopefully I will see a lot of you at the regional meetings and come grab a shirt and have a jump on the jumping castle at your local Labour Day celebration.

In Solidarity.

LABOR’S MOVES TO WIN BACK WORKING CLASS BASE

TAX CUTS & IR REFORMS

After the bruising and ultimately unsuccessful Voice Referendum, the Albanese government has made some bold plans to win back voters with cost-of-living relief, IR reform and tax relief high on the agenda Let’s look at the big two, Closing Loopholes IR Legislation and Stage Three Tax Cuts changes.

IR reform continues with Closing Loopholes legislation win. Let’s start with the Closing Loopholes Bill. In December 2023, after months of meetings and slow progress the government took a pragmatic approach agreeing to crossbench proposal to split the Closing Loopholes Bill. In doing so it was able to gain crossbench support to pass some key reforms through parliament before Christmas These reforms included but were not limited to:

1 Criminalising and increasing fines for wage theft

New rights for labour hire workers (same job, same pay)

2. Strong new rights for workplace delegates

3. Stronger workplace safety laws, including industrial manslaughter and better rights for injured workers expanding the functions of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency to include silica.

4 protections for domestic violence survivors

getting what we need to secure and enshrine better wages and workers’ rights The Closing Loopholes Legislation is the third tranche of the government’s industrial relations reform and is the most significant piece of legislation that will help drive up wages, improve job security and empower workers Tranche one was passed in 2022 and tranche two was passed in June 2023.

READMORE

Brickbats and Bouquets

6.

5 Redundancy rights for those working in small businesses

Tax reform helps the cost of living and retains balance

After the Christmas break and following on with the pragmatic approach in late January, the government sought options to deliver much needed cost of living relief for low- and middle-income earners One of the options raised by the Treasury suggested tweaking the Morrison-era Stage 3 Tax Cuts, an option that would not be inflationary but would provide relief for those doing it the hardest By early February, the government introduced new legislation that amended the tax cuts to ensure that more than 85% of Australian workers would be better off than they would have been under the LNP’s proposed regime, creating an uncomfortable wedge for Dutton and co You can read a summary of the changes below

Closing Loopholes 2 passes through Parliament

Just weeks later with a battered opposition struggling for relevance the government introduced, debated and ultimately, by Valentines Day 2024, secured the passage of the second part of the Closing Loopholes Bill. These reforms included but were not limited to: Better rights for casuals

1.

Union power, people power and pragmatic politics wins the day. While many of the changes will not directly affect ETU members employed under EBAs, there will be some members who will benefit directly, as well as family members and the wider community. These are good reforms; they are Labor reforms

Rank and file ETU members along with comrades from across the union movement played their part in this significant win for workers by standing up and telling their stories And while as is the case with most things in life, we don’t always get what we want, we’re much further along the track than we have been for 10 years We are moving towards

To the crossbench senators who listened, stayed the course, and supported the reform agenda to the end, albeit with amendments and negotiations: The Greens, David Pocock, Lidia Thorpe, and Jacqui Lambie (who supported the first part only), workers thank you. To Dutton’s LNP, their One Nation and Palmer United cohorts, and the business lobby who failed to support workers, we never forgive, and we never forget!

CLOSING LOOPHOLES 1 HIGHLIGHTS

New rights for labour hire workers (same job, same pay)

Where a host employer is covered by an enterprise agreement, is not a small business, and engages labour through a labour-hire provider, a union can make an application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for an order that applies ‘same job, same pay’ obligations. This means that the labour hire workers should receive the same rates as the host’s enterprise agreement This is now in effect, so if you are an ETU or CEPU member engaged through labour hire and receiving less pay than the host employer’s enterprise agreement, please contact your delegate or organiser Please note this change disappointingly excludes Group Training Organisations. We continue to lobby for the protection of apprentice members

Criminalising and increasing fines for wage theft

The Act passed will criminalise wage theft nationally, including not paying superannuation

Enshrining rights for workplace delegates

From 1 January 2025, all modern awards and enterprise agreements will be required to include a term that provides for delegates’ rights. Delegates will have the right to represent union members’ rights, communicate with members about their industrial interests and have reasonable access to the workplace, facilities, and paid time during working hours for the purpose of related training

Many unionised ETU workplaces already benefit from these rights, but they were not enshrined in law – they were fought for in enterprise agreements These changes strengthen workers’ and delegates rights across our industries as a whole, making it easier to speak up and stand up for workers right, conditions and safety even for workers without delegates rights clauses in their EBAs, or without EBAs altogether

Action towards eradicating the scourge of silicosis

The Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency will also assume responsibility for safety and eradication in relation to silica To reflect this, the agency will be renamed the Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency The federal government also voted in December to ban manufactured stone benchtops containing silica, which is one of the key materials causing unsafe exposure to silica, and leading to silicosis.

READMORE

Stronger workplace safety laws, including industrial manslaughter and better rights for injured workers

The changes will insert an offence of industrial manslaughter, based on conduct which breaches a PCBU or officers’ WHS duties, causes the death of a worker, and is reckless or negligent about causing that death

The new laws provide a presumption that where a (specified) ‘first responder’, who is covered by Commonwealth accident compensation legislation (i e Comcare), suffers from (or has suffered) a post-traumatic stress disorder, it will be presumed that the person’s prior employment as a first responder was the cause of their post-traumatic stress (unless the contrary is proven)

Protections for domestic violence survivors

The Fair Work Act’s anti-discrimination provisions prohibit employers from taking adverse action against workers for reasons such as their race, gender, caring responsibilities and other listed factors – and now that includes a person being subjected to family and domestic violence too

Redundancy rights for those working in small businesses

The new provisions will ensure that employees are entitled to a redundancy if the redundancy occurs in connection with bankruptcy and liquidation if the employer is a classified as a small business only because they have previously terminated employees

CLOSING LOOPHOLES 2 HIGHLIGHTS

Better rights for casuals

Every casual worker who has worked for their employer at least 6 months (or 12 months in the case of small business) will have the right to request to be made permanent

Right of Entry to investigate Wage Theft

Currently, union officials can exercise a right of entry to workplaces to investigate potential breaches of the Fair Work Act with 24 hours’ notice or if the Fair Work Commission waives this requirement because of concerns about possible document destruction The bill expands the grounds to waive the 24 hours’ notice if the FWC is satisfied that the suspected contravention involves the underpayment of wages of a union member who works there

The right to disconnect

The right to disconnect will prevent employees being punished for refusing to take unreasonable work calls or answer emails in their unpaid personal time

STAGE THREE TAX CUTS REDRESS THE BALANCE

The Albanese Labor Government has made some changes to the previously Morrison Government’s legislated Stage Three tax cuts which overwhelmingly favoured higher income workers while leaving many on minimum incomes with no tax cuts at all In January 2024, Labor’s new tweaked tax cuts were tabled The new system will provide fair tax cuts for all workers but are targeted to help alleviate the current cost of living crisis that hits workers earning under $150K the hardest

Despite being a step in the right direction, the opposition led by Dutton and the Australian Industry Group, headed by Innes Willox, opposed the changes Willox even suggested reducing the 2024 minimum wage increase due to the lower taxes This suggestion is reprehensible, particularly when many workers are struggling to make ends meet More than 85% of Australian workers will be better off under the new system, compared to the previous government's plan Those who earn over $200 000 annually will still receive a tax cut of $4 500+

These changes signify a positive step towards creating a more equitable tax system for all Australians

After initially proposing to oppose the cost-of-living relief, going as far as to call for an early election on them, Dutton scurried away from the threats and waved them through.

However, Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley has threatened to abolish them if elected. Watch this space.

INDUSTRIAL OFFICE WINS

The industrial unit has had a huge twelve months seeing the most extensive legislative reform in over a decade.

The legislative changes have created opportunities for the unit to better represent the industrial interests of ETU members.

Kait Teague has joined the team with extensive industrial relations experience contributing to the teams’ combined 60+ years experience in representing union members.

Major Matters

BHP Accom

The ETU is in the Federal Court against BHP over BHP’s decision to back pedal on longstanding rooming arrangements By attempting to give back $60 weekly rental payments, BHP sought to avoid its obligations under tenancy legislation. The ETU joined the MEU and AMWU in the Fair Work Commission with their dispute which one at first instance and then on appeal. The Federal Court matter is ongoing.

Rio Tinto

Members at Rio Tinto in Gove fought for the right for FWC to arbitrate their disputes and have taken full advantage of this newly won tool The ETU was successful in overturning Rio Tinto’s decision to refuse annual leave over Christmas for no good reason. The ETU has another matter before the Fair Work Commission in April over an unfair warning issued against our delegate. The ETU continues to staunchly respond to any unfair treatment of our members.

Kentz

The ETU uncovered a series of dodgy corporate arrangements which saw a large cohort of ETU members stuck with an Enterprise Agreement they didn’t vote on with sub-standard conditions. The Agreement was created in WA but was set to be used across Queensland The scenario is unfortunately uncommon and part of a sinister trend that the Fair Work Commission has committed to investigating. The Federal Court case is

QCAT

The unit represented an apprentice in a bizarre matter in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The Apprentice was sued by his former employer over the value of an air-conditioning course in circumstances where he was directed to attend the course and used the skills in the course of his employment (including to install air-conditioners in the boss’ home). Of course the union won, but the lengths to which this employer went were incredible

PWC Public Sector Appeal

The unit was successful in securing reinstatement (a rare achievement) in a public sector appeal in the Northern Territory for an ETU member who was unfairly dismissed The member had been sacked for an alleged safety breach, but the union successfully argued that PWC had failed to consider numerous contributing factors, inadequate procedures and equipment which led to the incident

Financial Recoveries

The unit can report recovery of over $500 000 in unpaid wages, settlements, and dispute resolutions in the last twelve months

Margarita recovered $170 000 alone on behalf of two ETU members who were paid sub-standard ‘salaries’ which did not meet the minimum Award requirements

The unit has seen a significant increase in the number of employers attempting to recover monies from employees when they resign There is an alarming trend for employers to offer training but demand payment back if an employee leaves There are only very limited circumstances under which this is enforceable The unit has been successful in arguing that in all cases, the demands were unlawful and unenforceable. The unit was successful in arguing that members should receive payments for online inductions completed before commencing work at a mine site We ensured that Incitec Pivot’s attempt to demand make up time purportedly under the agreement was thwarted We secured backpay of an unlawful deduction ember didn’t even want upon resignation

ters

members who have been asked to show rly dismissed We work closely with rs to avoid termination. The unit has been w causes which saw the member keep their

Bargaining

The new legislation has put a spotlight on bargaining The FWC, and the unit, have become a lot more involved in the bargaining space We have filed over 20 protected action ballot order applications over the last twelve months The Unit continues to provide advice and support to organisers, delegates and members over enterprise bargaining, drafting, industrial action strategy and best utilising the new tools under the Act.

KINGY & LANCE’S

UPDATES

From Shane King

It was an absolute honour to be sworn in as the assistant minister for Clean Economy Jobs at the end of last year (pictured). I want to thank my electorate of Kurwongbah and my union comrades for your support through the years My journey from a Power Link tradie to union delegate, to election as an MP, and now an assistant minister would not have been possible without you!

I am so excited to be tasked with a portfolio so crucial to reducing our emissions and generating the jobs of the future, as part of the Miles state Labor government Any business or group who are creating jobs while decarbonising is where I need to be.

I also want to put on record my thanks to and admiration for Annastacia –her leadership and vision. We got a lot done through some difficult times. Our new executive team has a great mix of experience and renewal, and we’re enthusiastic to build on the achievements of the Palaszczuk government. I’ve already learned so much from the organisations I’ve visited with my new hat on – I even had the privilege of delivering an address for the Woodford Folk Festival on behalf of Queensland energy minister. As an avid fan and advocate of the live music scene, I never miss Woodford but I’ve never been the one on stage before!

Parliament has resumed for the year with our Clean Economy Pathway front and centre. It’s going to be a big year in this space and I’ll be working tirelessly to help re-elect a Labor government in Queensland that matches effort with $$ to revolutionise our energy network and invest in our jobs.

Kingy

From Lance McCallum

Heat waves, cyclones, torrential rain, and flash flooding have thrown up plenty of challenges and network impacts in the field this summer, and yet again ETU members have stood up for their communities, their colleagues, and their state.

So, on behalf of all Queenslanders, I thank every single ETU member whose expertise has been critical in getting our communities back on their feet so quickly after recent extreme weather events

I know that many people came back off their own leave, sacrificing well deserved time with loved ones, to help with the recovery effort

True solidarity in action.

It has been an enormous honour to be asked by Premier Steven Miles to be the Queensland Labor Government’s Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development

I remain committed to delivering the good, skilled jobs of our clean energy revolution, including providing quality skills training, and easing the cost of living with Free TAFE.

Now in its second year, our $170 million investment in Free TAFE, in partnership with the Federal Albanese Government, is already delivering huge results:

* in 2023, more than 1,600 TAFE-supported electrical apprentices graduated with qualifications for good jobs in Queensland’s transition to a global renewable energy powerhouse, and

* this year, more than 2,300 first and second-year utilities and electrotechnology apprentices are keeping more of what they earn while they learn with a Free TAFE industry qualification.

Labor’s commitment to Free TAFE is an investment in the roll-out of Queensland’s clean energy SuperGrid, wired and maintained by Queenslanders, and as the ETU has always fought for, in majority public ownership.

However, our legislated Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, and the ETU’s hard-won jobs guarantee for energy workers are all at risk if the LNP manages to sneak back into government on 26 October.

We know the LNP will sell off our publicly owned power assets and TAFEs, slash funding, and sack workers, because that is exactly what they did last time when David Crisafulli was Campbell Newman's right hand man

The LNP is a serious threat to good, secure jobs and Queensland’s publicly owned clean energy future

Labor will always back publicly owned power and front line energy workers

In solidarity,

Lance McCallum

Queensland Training and Skills Development Minister