MEDIA & RESEARCH media@etu org au Andrew Irvine Kristin Perissinotto
HONORARY MEMBERS GROUP CHAIRPERSON
Gordon Abbott
GOLD COAST OFFICE Steve Bravo Queensland Teachers Union 6/173-175 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes QLD 4227
TOOWOOMBA OFFICE
Damian Hewat
19 Russell Street, Toowoomba P 07 4638 9313 F 07 4639 2810
SUNSHINE COAST
Dan Bessell
6/33 Bulcock Street, Caloundra Qld 4551 P 07 5341 8927 F 07 5341 8953
WIDE BAY
Scott Sologinkin
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND OFFICES
Shawn Higgins
81 Hanson Rd Gladstone Qld 4680 gladstone@etu org au
MACKAY OFFICE
Craig Thomas Qld Council of Unions, 41 Brisbane St, Mackay 4740 P 07 4953 4799 F 07 4953 4899
NORTH QUEENSLAND OFFICE
Liam Sharkey
64 Ross River Rd, Mundingburra (PO Box 5800) Townsville 4812
P 07 4728 2443 F 07 4728 2907
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND OFFICE
Robert Hill
25/25 Grafton Street, Cairns P 07 4051 3472 F 07 40513502
NORTHERN TERRITORY OFFICE
Dave "Strawbs" Hayes First Floor 38 Woods Street (PO Box 4053) Darwin NT 0801 P 08 8941 2300 F 08 8981 1770
UPDATE UPDATE
Welcome to the 106th edition of The Electrical Worker, well it’s been another hectic and eventful few months for our union and the members we represent. It’s fair to say that energy security, affordability and availability are once again on the political agenda with the LNP at both a state and federal level playing their hands, at a state level, state assets and jobs are once again in the firing line while at a federal level the Dutton circus’ nuclear fantasy is creating chaos and uncertainty Like death and taxes there is one certainty under the LNP No Job or Asset is Safe and We Will All Pay More!!. This edition is filled with a balance of stories outlining the successes, challenges and characters that make up our great union. We are growing in strength and activism, keep up the great work comrades.
On April 28th, the LNP drew a line in the sand when it comes to Queensland’s energy assets if they win the October 26th election. The Miles Labor government introduced the Energy and Jobs Bill in April, which guarantees job security for energy workers in government-owned corporations through the world leading Energy Workers Charter during the transition from coal-fired to renewable energy This pioneering move is made possible by the public ownership of these assets. The bill also locks in 100% public ownership of transmission, distribution, and pumped hydro facilities to be constructed, in addition to maintaining the current 54% ownership of current and future generation. Opposition energy spokesperson Deb Frecklington tabled three pages of amendments related to privatisation, when the amendments failed the LNP voted against the entire bill. This was the first time the LNP had publicly made their intentions clear to again privatise Queensland’s publicly owned energy assets if they get elected This should not come as a surprise to any of our members considering the front bench of Crisafulli’s team is almost identical to Cambell Newman’s front bench back in 2012-2015 when they moved to sell off our energy assets, close depots and sack workers. In light of this the ETU has re-launched the Not4Sale campaign and will be calling on our members to hit the streets and turn out to rallies as we campaign between now and October 26th We all remember under Cambell Newman the 2000 power workers made redundant and the proposed closures of regional and remote depots and power stations, which had devastating impacts on regional communities. We cannot afford to allow these grubs to get back into power and destroy all of the good work that we achieved as a union for our members and their communities We have stood up the NOT4SALE website, Facebook page as well as other socials (links are below).
So, get on board and get involved, it is all of our futures we are fighting for.
I want to touch on the destabilisation campaign that Peter Dutton has embarked on around nuclear energy being a reliable source of renewable energy. First of all, the ETU revisits the debate of whether we should support nuclear as an energy source or not at every national and state conference and to date we have opposed it on the basis of cost, time and waste storage. The coalition including Dutton and his team have just spent 10 years running the Australian government and not once in that 10 years was nuclear energy put up as a viable option, in fact they had no energy plan whatsoever, other than more coal and more gas while the rest of the world embarked on a renewable energy transition. This has left us well behind the rest of the world and struggling to catch up but at least under state and federal Labor, we have a credible energy plan in place and are implementing it with a mix of renewable generation, pumped hydro and battery storage. This is a good solid plan that will eventually deliver clean, cheap reliable energy putting downward pressure on electricity prices Dutton’s nuclear energy fantasy will blow electricity prices out of the water, reactors costing tens of billions to build and the timeline anything from 15 -25 years, it is unrealistic and unachievable and where is his costings and his plan? That is why I call it a destabilisation campaign because all he is doing is dividing Australia so that he has a better chance of winning the next election By working to undermine and derail the energy plans in place he makes sure we are reliant on the resource sector for our energy sources for longer, making his resource sector mates more profits, who in turn pour more money into his election campaigns Meanwhile the average Australian will pay $thousands more for an unreliable source of electricity, let’s not be fooled by this grub who cares nothing about the average Australian worker and let’s not buy into his bullshit.
On a positive note, I was able to join with Townsville organiser Liam Sharkey in Hughenden earlier this month to attend the sod turning for the start of construction for the CopperString Project led by state owned power company Powerlink. This important project will provide reliable power for the region and up to 800 jobs in the construction phase which includes 840km of new transmission lines from Townsville to Mt Isa connecting the Northwest to the National Grid. The project will bring well paid union jobs as well as apprenticeships and real trade outcomes for First Nations people.
I want to congratulate our members in EQL and Powerlink who have just had their EBA certified in Fair Work. They delivered it with a strong, disciplined campaign and have achieved some great outcomes (read Stuey’s full report pg6)
Can I also congratulate our members working for Coca-Cola in the regions for getting their EBA over the line and achieving pay parity with their fellow workers in the Southeast. This was truly a David and Goliath battle with only 13 members taking on the whole of Coca- Cola, what Coke didn’t realise was they had the whole of the ETU behind them with over 15000 members supporting them. (read full story on pg 18).
A shout out to Tommy Cambell and Ross (Rosco) Malvenan, Tommy and Rosco have been long standing members of our union as well as stalwarts of our industry, they are also the founding members of the Old School Committee Rosco is retiring this year and heading down to Victoria to be nearer to grandkids and Tommy is starting a new role as the first dedicated Cirt/Jetco client services manager so you will be seeing him around on the jobs (read more from Wendel on pg 20)
I also want to mention Chris Lynn and Playbook When Lynny came to talk to me about his coaching platform I immediately related to the thousands of our members who work in FIFO who often miss out on seeing their children develop in their chosen sport They are struggling as it is being away from family and not being involved and this often adds to mental health issues. Now this platform is not a silver bullet by any means, but it gives mum or dad the ability to purchase a reasonably priced lesson with a sports star from their chosen sport and do a Zoom meeting with them and their child beforehand, this has got to go a long way to helping, I think it’s a cracker of an idea, see page (pg 21)
In the past month we have welcomed a new organiser to our ranks Joel Costa who will be looking after apprentices Joel has a wealth of
Enjoy the read comrades and get
SUPPLY INDUSTRY
Gday ETU members,
Massive shoutout to all ETU members on the latest EBA outcomes delivering Industry leading wages and conditions.
From the outset, this EBA was always going to be critical to attract and retain the skilled workers needed to build, operate and maintain our current and future energy networks.
This is without a doubt the best outcome in this industry's history, members should be extremely proud of what we have achieved for not only the current workers but just as importantly this leaves a legacy for future generations of electricity industry workers.
Key achievements are:
1. Annual wage increases of: a) 4 5% in the first year;
4.5% in the second year; c) 3.5% in the third year; and d) 3% in the fourth year
2. Introduction of an all-purpose Attraction and Retention Allowance that will be indexed in line with wage increases
3 72 hour fortnight with no deduction in salary 4. Superannuation choice
5.
6
The discipline shown by members throughout the protected action ballot delivered a clear message to not only Powerlink and Energy Queensland but importantly the Queensland government that we were serious. During the days of action, it was ETU members as always that achieved the desired result of getting Energy Queensland and Powerlink to agree to our key outstanding claims with government finally showing an interest.
Successful outcomes on aligning wages with interstate workers whilst also achieving leading conditions in Queensland such as Superannuation, Income Protection, Reproductive Leave, Mental Health Leave, and Parental Leave demonstrates what we can achieve by sticking together and working with a state government that understands the importance of delivering secure jobs with good wages and conditions
Following the ballots, the EBAs will be submitted to Fair Work for approval, once approved they will come into effect 7 days after and backpay as previously communicated will be applied
The outcomes achieved not only align with interstate wages but we will now have the best conditions across the country to genuinely be able to attract and retain the workforce of the future
Whilst there is much to celebrate there is still work to be done to ensure that any workgroups that have ongoing attraction and retention issues are addressed, we have that commitment from management.
We also have the looming Queensland state election later this year, the decision for ETU members is clear. We have the current government that has approved the latest EBAs and enshrined public ownership of our assets in law compared to the anti-worker, anti-union LNP that intends to privatise our assets and cut jobs
ETU members have consistently stood side by side and campaigned against any government intending to sell our essential services, now is the time again to stand up and fight to keep our assets in public hands Our Assets are Not4Sale, Not Now, Not Ever.
Victory to the ETU.
CONTRACTING
Cross River Rail
A never-ending saga that continues to be plagued with issues that started when the project was initiated. The project has allowed substandard contractors to do substandard work, paying substandard wages and conditions. If there is one lesson to be learned out of the CRR debacle it is a stark reminder of what happens when Best Practice Industry Conditions (BPICs) are not in place and why it is so important to ensure BPICs are maintained and expanded.
Back to the project itself and things are livening up (literally), all workers need to be vigilant. UGL are pushing to achieve a completion date that meets 1st train requirements before the October election, this artificial deadline is creating major electrical hazards including inadequate, substandard electrical work being completed by unlicensed electrical workers. A reminder to all, bonding earths and earthing work in general is electrical work and must be completed by a licensed electrician.
During a recent safety walk with the Electrical Safety Office (ESO) on one of the sites, commissioning crews were confronted with highly dangerous scenarios including, Entering an incomplete switch room, where commissioning crews were trying to commission cables in a switchboard with cables at their feet, no evacuation or permanent lighting installed and insufficient markings on live cables.
“This is never acceptable particularly on behalf of UGL who are forcing workers to work in these conditions to meet their artificial deadlines Switch rooms should always be finished that is be complete with permanent and emergency evacuation lighting, low voltage rescue kit, and adequate signage as per the Australian Standards.” Comrades, as always safety must come first, any issues contact your delegate or organiser
Old School
Shout out to Ross Malvenan, “Rosco” as he is affectionately known, who is standing down from the committee after many years of advocacy. Rossco was a founding member of the Old School Committee.
Thanks comrade, your work and that of the committee you helped set up, has been invaluable in informing our EBA claims specifically related to mature age workers over 50. You can be very proud of your contribution to our union over many years.
Not that shit again… finally some real movement! Amenities are never an issue until you don’t have them and for far too many of our ETU women they have literally had NOWHERE TO GO for far too long.
The signs summed it as more than 200 union women from across the Building Trades Group rallied outside state parliament on budget day 2024.
“High Vis women are not second-class citizens”
“Women of 2024, not cave women”
“Women’s toilets are non -negotiable”
ETU WOMEN AT THE RALLY
The rally had the desired result, with Premier Miles and Industrial Relations Minister Grace, agreeing to speak with union representatives and also address the rally. In short speeches they agreed to address the issues around the lack of female-specific amenities not only on building sites, but also in remote and mobile work areas and sites.
It’s 2024, we shouldn’t still be talking about this shit; it is little wonder we have issues attracting female workers to maledominated industries, when this fundamental dignity and right is not universally provided. It has to change, and we are cautiously optimistic that a review of regulations being undertaken at time of writing will ensure progress
NT Framework Agreement – Update
I am hoping to get up to the NT in coming months to attend a Darwin sub branch meeting to call on construction members to endorse Strawbs and I to meet with contractors in the Northern Territory to start ramping up the number of companies on the agreement. Watch this space.
Taking it to the regions - Contacting sub branch heading to Cairns
At the recent contracting sub branch meeting members endorsed the committee to travel to regional areas at least once a year to hold a contracting sub branch meeting Cairns will hold the next meeting on the 7th August with a live stream available for members elsewhere in Queensland.
The committee is looking forward to catching up with members old and new, face to face and especially those working for Babinda Electrical and NorthPoint Power and Data who recently signed on to become local EBA companies.
PRESIDENT
QCU Awards
As president of our great union I was proud to attend and represent the union at the May Day Dinner and QCU Awards night.
For the QCU Awards the ETU provided nominations in three categories, Best Union Publication Over 7500 members for - The Electrical Worker Edition 104, Outstanding Delegate/Activist of the Year - Eddy Malo Southern Cross Electrical Engineering (SCEE) Townsville And Most Active and Effective Workplace Committee – Cross River Rail ETU Delegates. While all three nominations were outstanding in their categories, we were able to secure one joint win securing the Best Union Publication Award for volume 104 of The Electrical Worker
BEST UNION PUBLICATION OVER 7500 MEMBERS– Joint Winner
The Electrical Worker Edition 104
The October 2023 Volume 104 edition of the magazine featured the usual updates from various sectors within the union. It included updates on significant EBA negotiations in the ETU's largest sections – contracting/construction and the electrical supply industry, which collectively represent nearly 75% of the total financial membership. Members were voting on the contracting EBA, and the supply industry EBA campaign was actively ongoing The magazine also highlighted achievements such as Queensland Rail members securing a notable 17% wage increase and the successful efforts to end the wage freeze in the Northern Territory GOCs Power Water and Territory Generation. The front page highlighted the story of Torres Strait power industry members who received over $2 3 million in back pay after significant underpayments spanning over a decade The volume also featured captivating narratives, including former ETU Queensland member Kat Thomas sharing her experiences as an electrician in Antarctica, emphasising the diverse opportunities in the electrical field
Additionally, the edition showcased Sarita Morales, a key figure in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Arizona, promoting diversity and resilience It also covered the 2023 Kokoda Track trek and paid tribute to the late ETU stalwart Ray Lawrance.
The magazine addressed the union's opposition to the AUKUS deal due to its historical stance against nuclear energy. It highlighted State Secretary Peter Ong's speeches and shared a heartwarming story of a scholarship donation to ETU apprentice Casey Bell in memory of late member Sean Collins through MATES in Construction, acknowledging Bell's mental health advocacy on-site.
Overall, the 104th edition of The Electrical Worker offered a wide range of stories showcasing members, victories, challenges, values, and strengths. As editors and writers, we are proud that our work and your stories have been honoured with this award
Kristin and Andrew, ETU Media Officers
THE CHANGING FACE OF OUR UNION
Back in May 2013 we did a snapshot of our union to show how it had changed and evolved over the previous 10 years since 2003. Now 10 years on with the highest number of members we have had in our history, the ETU Qld NT is going from strength to strength Back in May 2013 we had 12,938 financial members and just over 15000 total members, in November 2023 we had totals of 14035 financial and close to 16000 in total membership.
The biggest areas of growth have been in apprentices and female membership where apprentices had grown from approx. 6% in 2013 to almost 10% in 2023 while members who identify as female continues to grow to almost 5% of our total membership now up from less than 2% in 2013 These figures show the importance of continuing to improve pathways for apprentices and women, because if we want make inroads into 20,000+ shortfalls in our industry we need to be representative of Australian society, 50/50
Looking at the info on the next page, one interesting point to note is the direct correlation between Labor governments and growth in female and apprentice numbers
We know too well that back in 2013 the then Newman LNP slashed apprenticeships and jobs in energy GOC’s in preparation for sale and took the axe to state government departments like QHealth, QBuild, QRail and TMR, where they sought to outsource services and jobs. We cannot afford to go back to the same old LNP, promise one thing and deliver weasel words about nothing to fear are being trumpeted around by Crisafulli who as a minister in the Newman nightmare was a sycophantic supporter of all the bad decisions, you just can’t trust them with jobs and services
THE CHANGING FACE OF OUR UNION...
Gov. General Peter Hollingworth stood down while investigations proceed.
ABC claims China hacked plans for the headquarters of ASIO.
Israel-Gaza conflict continues with national and international calls for ceasefire growing.
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie (Labor) Campbell Newman (LNP)
Annastacia Palaszczuk (Labor)
TERRITORY UPDATE
May Day
The Northern Territory once again had great May Day events held in both Darwin and Alice Springs
The turn out in Darwin was huge with over 1000 union members and their families hitting the streets, in Alice, many union members and their families took their usual place flying the union flag as part of the Bang Tail Muster Parade held down there on May Day.
This year we were privileged to have ETU National Secretary Michael Wright join us for May Day in Darwin and addressed the crowds as the key note speaker
A great turnout from ETU members and their families who all enjoyed the family fun day afterwards, with the ETU again on the winning side of the tug of war.
This situation created overlaps and lack of clarity from a technical, licensing and safety perspective. They also do not accurately capture modern advancements in the electrical industry such as renewable energy generation and battery storage systems (amongst other things).
Your union has been heavily involved in the work that has taken place over the last 6 years to get to where we are today, with the new Electrical Safety Act 2022 and the Electrical Safety Regulations 2024 to commence on 1 July 2024.
New requirements in the regulations will apply to:
A d l l k f d t h l b t th i d re
electrical contractors, electrical workers, distribution entities person's conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU's), PCBU's in the construction industry, PCBU's in Solar PV system design and/or installation
electrical safety laws
New NT Electrical Safety Act and Regulations – Commencing 1 July 2024
The Northern Territory has lagged behind the rest of Australia in electrical licensing and safety. The laws relating to electrical safety have been contained in three different Acts which range in age between 20 to 40 years old
owners of residential properties (owner occupiers and landlords, including their property managers), the general public (tenants) community groups and not-for-profit organisations
Registered Training Organisations
We will continue to provide information to members on changes and it is important that you, as a licensed electrical worker, make yourself aware of the new laws and regulations.
Information can be found at the links below
This has been an ETU-led initiative from the start and a great outcome in strengthening electrical safety in the NT and protecting our licenced trade into the future.
Thanks to the many people who have put in the mountain of work to make this happen.
Award Season in the NT
The Annual GTNT Group Awards were held recently in Darwin with ETU members well represented on the winners list. The GTNT Awards recognise apprentices, trainees, supervisors and businesses that go above and beyond in their ongoing training and development in the Northern Territory. It is always well attended and provides recognition to the many who are working hard to train and develop in our Territory industries.
Congratulations to the below ETU members:
Winner: NAWIC Award for Outstanding Female in the Construction Industry – Elisha Wright, Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade | Territory Generation
Winner: Outstanding Apprentice of the Year Stage 2 - Thomas Marsh, Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician | Power and Water Corporation
Winner: Supervisor of the Year - Steven Budd | Power and Water Corporation
Finalist: Huy Tran, Certificate III in ESI - Power Systems - Distribution Overhead | Power and Water Corporation
Finalist: Asinate Bradbury, Certificate III in Engineering - Mechanical Trade | Territory Generation
Finalist: Jack Rentsch, Certificate III in ESI - Power Systems - Distribution Overhead | Power and Water Corporation
Winner: Host Business of the Year - Power and Water Corporation
Standards Australia 2024 Awards
The ETU sits on many committees and boards representing and advocating for our members. This is work that many members don’t see but is vital in maintaining the safety standards and integrity of our trade
As the ETU representative on the Standards Australia committee EL-001 Wiring Rules, ETU national technical officer Sarah Brunton, plays a crucial role in shaping the standards that regulate electrical installations across the country
In 2023, Sarah marked a significant milestone by becoming the first participant from the Northern Territory in the prestigious Standards NEXTgen Program.
Standards Awards are presented to those who have made significant contributions to the standardisation and demonstrated outstanding service in enabling Standards Australia to attain its objectives. Congratulations to Sarah was recently awarded the ’Emerging Leader Award’ by Standards Australia.
Groote Eylandt
Groote Eylandt's wharf was partially destroyed and South32's mine was extensively damaged during Tropical Cyclone Megan in March. South32 will not export any manganese ore from Groote Eylandt for around 12 months.
A bulk carrier berthed at Groote Eylandt, which had just been loaded with 40,000 tonnes of manganese from South32's GEMCO mine, was not moved ahead of the approaching cyclone.
For two days, the vessel was smashed into the wharf by the cyclonic winds and 4-metre-high seas, causing large parts of the structure to fall into the sea, rendering it unusable
There are obviously many questions to be answered in relation to procedures not being followed
In a recent visit out there, the damage when seen on the ground is pretty full on Many haul roads were washed away and there is massive amounts of water required to be pumped from pits to allow mining to resume.
This has seen hundreds of contractor workers across all trades laid off and a big blow to many workers.
South32 have continued to pay all their own employees as they work towards a transition back into production. Our electrical crews are still required on site as per their normal shift arrangements which is good We will continue to be involved in ensuring a safe resumption of operations.
Rio Tinto Gove
We will provide a full report on Rio making the entire Rio Tinto directhired electrical workforce redundant and those jobs going to contractors in the next issue of the journal.
EBAs
Since last writing Nilsen and Ventia are now voted up and operating. A great result for members in both companies.
We continue to bargain with McArthur River Mine in what is shaping up to be a good old battle to achieve decent outcomes.
Monadelphous (INPEX Maintenance Agreement) this is just kicking off and given Mono’s history will no doubt be a challenging bargaining process
Northern Territory Contracting Enterprise Agreement campaign With the framework agreement now in place, a power of work will need to be done to organise the NT contracting industry.
In other EBA news, the Kone Service Agreement is kicking off
APPRENTICES APPRENTICES
As always, there is plenty going on in the apprentice space with onboarding increasing throughout the industry.
We've seen a huge increase in direct-hire apprentice sign-ups in both the contracting and manufacturing/general trade industries due to both training and skills demands and the fact that members have been fighting to ensure we have strong apprentice training and employment provisions in enterprise agreements.
With the increasing apprentice numbers in the state, comes many challenges for the industry to ensure our VET system is robust, reliable and well resourced. The ETU has been on the front foot in both Queensland and the Northern Territory, and nationally to ensure that training standards are maintained for those undertaking electrical qualifications in our industry.
New Apprentice Incentive Scheme
For many months now, the ETU has been pushing governments both state and federal to introduce cost-of-living relief for apprentices, both in the form of award and industrial instrument increases, and for the introduction of incentives to assist apprentices.
The Queensland government has recently introduced a scheme that will give first-year apprentices working in the construction industry the ability to claim back up to $1000 in tool expenditure in the first year of their apprenticeship Tool purchases dating back to 1 January 2024 may be eligible for a rebate.
For more information on eligibility, scan the code below
Coal Industry Apprentices
We’re currently at the table with MRAEL negotiating a GTO agreement to cover apprentices working in the coal industry, ensuring that their agreement is subject to jump-up provisions relevant to their host employers’ agreement and relevant underpinning Coal Award so that they’re keeping up with industry-standard conditions in the black coal industry.
Patch Changes
For the past three years, I have had the privilege of representing ETU apprentice members throughout the industry in the role of apprentice coordinator for your union
It’s certainly been an interesting three years, as we’ve seen significant changes within the industry over this time Increasing union density and an increase in work across the state has seen membership in this space grow from just under 1000 financial apprentice members in 2021, to over 1600 as of May this year – an increase of more than 60%
Along with a growing and strengthening union base comes with massive changes for electrical apprentices, as members fought hard to their wages, conditions, and safety standards at work. Over the last three years, we have seen many new EBAs in place across the industry, thanks to the hard work of delegates, and collective strength of ETU apprentices. Previously, apprentices were only paid the bare minimum laid out in the Award, and many were often working alongside other apprentices who were being paid higher rates After a huge effort in building membership and pushing for better, many of these apprentices are now receiving the same pay for the same job, as they should be. This outcome is a strong testament to the quality of unionists we have among our apprentice members. I can say with confidence that the future of the ETU is safe in the hands of these young delegates and activists
It’s been a privilege to represent ETU apprentices for the past three years, and a massive highlight has been watching many young delegates and activists taking part in EBA negotiations, unionising their workplaces, and bringing along and educating other young workers. I’m confident that these apprentices will be future site delegates and will continue to fight for better wages, conditions, and safety standards in our industry well into the future.
With the recent changes to organisers’ areas of responsibility, I’ve moved to contracting/construction covering South-West Brisbane, Logan and Ipswich while still retaining the manufacturing and general trade shops I currently look after.
As Ongy mentioned in his articles, Joel Costa has jumped on board to pick up the role of apprentice coordinator.
Joel has been an incredibly effective delegate in his time on the tools and I’m really looking forward to seeing him kick goals in the apprentice space for our members!
WORKERS DAY MEMORIAL
Close to 1000 construction workers commemorate IWMD on Gold Coast
As the stunning Gold Coast day welcomed construction workers from the Gold Coast and beyond, the mood changed as the speeches began, speeches tinged with empathy, sadness, anger and above all a steely resolve to keep fighting until there were no more hard hats to hang on stark crosses, no more families grieving the loss of a loved one who didn’t return from work and no more lives cut short by construction site neglect After the ages and occupations were read out and hard hats dutifully laid, and the piper played auld lang syne, only after these rituals are complete does the enormity of the losses set in:
“Seventeen-year-old plumbers’ mate… 94-year-old bystander, FFS, the industry must do better than this.”
We caught up with some of the strong ETU contingent to get their reflections on the importance of IWMD and why they attended
Denham, 45
“I come to show my respect for the memory of fallen workers, we come together as one to support families, and commit to do what we can to ensure all workers go home safe to their families in the future.”
Nadine, Darren & Daniel (from left)
“It is so important to remember the workers who went to work and didn’t come home, it is the least we can do It is also an important time to highlight the importance of safety.” - Darren.
“Fatalities affect everyone from workmates to families left to cope mentally and financially, to the wider community I reflect on how I would be affected if we lost Darren, it would be devastating, apart from heartbreak of the physical loss, I don’t know we would cope as a family with 3 young kids ” - Nadine
“It opens may eyes to the dangers, I will be more careful and committed to safety.” - Daniel.
Marcel, 20
“[I come to] pay my respects to all those that have lost their lives doing their job And to remember how far we have come and also reflect on how far we have to go ”
Cameron 34
“To pay my respects for those that have fallen and show solidarity with the families affected ” Gary, 36
“I come to show respect, it is a day of mourning and remembrance, but it’s also a time to show strength and call out companies like CPB doing the wrong thing. Construction deaths are out of control, heat stress and other issues, there are too many workers taking health and safety for granted and companies that don’t care These deaths are barbaric; they shouldn’t happen in our industry We all need to take responsibility and stand up ”
Another significant campaign highlighted by several speakers was the Green Hats for Aaron Campaign, advocating for apprentices to wear green hard hats for visibility and support on construction sites Aaron “AZ” Fryer was just 17 and five weeks into his plumbing apprenticeship when in March 2012 he was struck and killed by an unsecured excavator bucket The Green Hats campaign is an initiative spearheaded by family, friends and construction industry workers wanting to effect real change to help keep our most vulnerable construction workers – our apprentices and those new to the industry – safe and visible on construction sites The ETU endorses this initiative
Join the Green Hats for Aaron Facebook group
Wrapping up, various speakers emphasized the importance of united action to bring about tangible changes, mentioning victories such as the ban on engineered stone and campaigns for enhanced industrial manslaughter legislation and improved female amenities on construction sites. Health and safety, like workplace rights, are worth fighting for. "Generous" employers and governments do not simply hand them over; we must fight for them Today, we pledge to continue this fight through education, awareness, and action.
We refuse to be silenced by governments and greedy employers Every loss of life is one too many, and each death is preventable. From Darwin to Rocky, Townsville, Brisbane, where over 1000 workers and families gathered - and many other locations across the state, country and the world, we mourned for the dead and promised to advocate fiercely for the living every day. In the past year, 37 workers killed at work or due to work-related activities (up to April 2024)
THE MAN BEHIND THE MICROPHONE
For over 25 years, Fr. Terry Fitzpatrick has led the prayer and bell ringing during the International Workers Memorial Day ceremonies in Brisbane. Initially as a Catholic Priest and later as a minister at St Mary’s in Exile church, he has played a significant role in evolving the event into an interfaith, spiritual, and inclusive ritual.
Father Terry, well-known in union and progressive circles in South Brisbane, holds meetings for St Mary’s in Exile at the QCU building He actively supports various causes like refugee rights, antiracism, and social justice through his personal involvement and through his employment with Micah Projects.
Hailing from Toowoomba, Terry grew up in a working-class family and was raised among nine siblings near the railway tracks in working class North Toowoomba. He witnessed the class divide and the impact of post-war globalisation on traditional trade crafts like furniture and cabinet making.
“We lived across from the railway tracks, 11 of us in the one house, people would ask where are you from? We’d say ‘Jellicoe St’, ‘above or below Ruthven?’ ‘Below,’ ‘oh,’ they’d say, looking down on us.”
“My dad and grandad both worked in the building trade as cabinet makers, they were craftsmen, but their skills were devalued by the influx of cheaply produced furniture and cabinetry from overseas.”
“My brother Ray was also a craftsman, but the demise of furniture making saw him do odd jobs to make ends meet. But he eventually ended up working in the dangerous and largely unregulated pest control industry where he was classified as self-employed shifting all the risk onto him, but he was dictated to and treated appallingly by the company in life and in death Sadly, Ray passed away in 2019, while never proven as the cause or contributor to death, his working environment was a toxic and unsafe one.”
Terry’s family history and personal experiences fuelled his support for unions. He recognised the importance of unions in advocating for workers’ rights and dignity.
From his observations and experiences, Terry understood that the class divide was not accidental but intentional. He praises the role of unions in empowering workers to demand better wages and working conditions.
“Unions have had a remarkable impact on Australia, the many gains made over the years have been taken for granted by too many, but still, I’d say the Australian union movement would have to be one of the best union movements globally, with a proud history of standing up.”
Reflecting on the evolution of the International Workers Memorial Day ritual, Terry recalls its humble beginnings in a small church in South Brisbane to its current location at Emma Miller Place. He is pleased with the event's growth and impact over the years
“It is such an important day, to stick up for workers and unions, to show workers they are valued as people, and to reinforce the need to be safe at work. The ETU has been a massive part of IWMD and I pay tribute to your ongoing fearless advocacy on behalf of your members and workers in general.”
Emphasising inclusion and diversity, Terry has adapted the prayers over time to have a more spiritual rather than religious focus. He aims to create a welcoming environment for all attendees, focusing on honouring the deceased and advocating for workplace safety.
Personal stories, like those of Terry's brother Ray and other family members who died or became ill as a result of their work, serve as a reminder of the importance of honouring workers' sacrifices and advocating for safer workplaces. These stories drive Terry's commitment to commemorating IWMD and fighting for workers' rights each and every day
International Day of Mourning Prayer - Fr Terry Fitzpatrick
“On this day, we call to mind those who have died or suffered injury at their place of work We remember the unrealised potential of young people whose lives have been ended suddenly, or whose future has been blighted by injury. We remember the men and women stricken by illness or death at the prime of their lives, the children left without mother or father and the families facing hardship and deprivation We remember the elderly coming to the end of their lives in pain and discomfort through the results of their work
On this day, we commiserate with the families and friends of those who have died as a result of their labour We pledge our support for those who have to nurse or otherwise care for those injured at work And we share in their sadness, anger and frustration when it appears that company profits have been put before workers’ health
On this day, we pray that, throughout the world, in industry, commerce or trade, all will work together to campaign for safer working environments for all people in honour of the sacred memory of those who have died in their place of work.”
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS ON MAY DAY
IPSWICH
It was an overcast start to the day in the proud working-class city of Ipswich, but that wasn’t going to stop the more than 1000 unionists who attended this year’s May Day march and fun day. We caught up with some of our
newest marchers along with some old timers who have been attending May Day marches for half a century give or take a few years.
Alan Brims proudly attended this years May day with his daughter Mari a proud Independent Education Union member for more than 30 years and Granddaughter Claire also an IEU member
For Alan (80) who has worked on the railways and in the local mines this isn’t his first march, “I haven’t missed too many during my 60 years as a member ” Alan values May Day as a day for honouring collective achievements and recognising the important role unions play in empowering workers to stand up at work and in the wider community ”
Hannah Williams is a firstyear Fire Tech apprentice, at 24 she might be one of our younger marchers, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a seasoned pro
“It is a proud day for me, I am marching as a fullyfledged ETU member for the first time, I’ve marched with my dad Brendan a proud ETU member before, but this year is special. “May Day is about making positive connections, sticking up for what is right and justified for workers ”
Karl (ETU) and Amanda (QNMU) both 26, reckon May Day is a “special day and a time to show the strength of our unions and the collective strength of the union movement and standing with your mates ”
Amanda reckons May Day is great family day “It’s a really great family atmosphere, great to see everyone together, we look forward to bringing our kids here when we have them.”
organiser Luke who have our backs We can’t do it ourselves all the time and the union are there to help and ensure we are treated properly.” Claire is marching to show ‘support and solidarity’ for Marli
BRISBANE
It’s just after 9am on a beautiful Brisbane morning, the showers that were forecast have not eventuated and the crows are building nicely, you get the feeling this year’s march is going to be a big one. It doesn’t disappoint. We caught up with some of our members and their families and friends as they enjoyed a coffee waiting for the march to start
Maddie (L) and partner Emily (R), both 29 and Troy, in his 40’s, have a common bond, they are comrades.
Maddie was an apprentice at the OI glass plant during the well publicised dispute back in 2019 Troy was the ETU delegate on site, Fast forward 5 years and Maddie is now a proud ETU member at Energex.
“Being part of the Energy Queensland and Powerlink campaign fighting for what is right was fantastic and May Day is an opportunity to get together with comrades and celebrate our wins. It’s about camaraderie and standing together ” Emily is clearly proud of her partner and is marching to show solidarity and support, “We’ve got each other’s back.” She says.
Troy has been to many May Days in his time, and he acknowledges the day means different things to different people. But for Troy it is “about showing support for ETU organisers and officials, supporting the people who support us, often behind the scenes doing the hard yards ” “It’s also a great day out for the family and a time to catch up with comrades.”
Issac has been coming to Brisbane May Days since 2013, for him it is a day of “tradition and showing our support for unions, it’s about marching together for workers’ rights.”
Isaac’s wife Zoe is a proud QNMU members and reckons the day is about “solidarity and supporting the unions that support us ”
With 3-year-old daughter Zoe on his shoulders both agree it is also a great day for the kids “It’s such a family-friendly event with plenty for the kids to do, it’s also a really safe space.”
Keeping with the family friendly theme proud ETU member Michael is keen to share the day with sons Jack (8) and Carter (10). Even at such young ages the kids are switched on and educated about the meaning of the day
Marli and partner Claire are attending their first Ipswich May Day march, Marli is a 3rd year apprentice who appreciates the support the ETU has provided him over the years and wants to show support back
“May Day is about standing up for
For Jack it’s about people “getting together to support each other” and he loves the rides while Carter sums it up beautifully, “The day is about standing together to support the working class ”
For Michael it is about respecting the past and fighting for the future
“It’s an important holiday won by trade unions, to celebrate those that fought and died for what we deserve as working people, it is a day of standing together and marching together for the working classes. It’s really important that my kids know what it means and know about our union history, my grandad was a proud trade union wharfie in Cairns, we will carry it forward.”
THE MAGNIFICENT 13 TAKE ON COKE AND WIN
In a David and Goliath battle for pay parity 13 regional Queensland ETU members took on one of the world’s biggest multinational corporations and won.
The premise was simple enough, our members working in regional Queensland outside of the southeast wanted to be paid the same as their comrades in the southeast, Same Job…Same Pay.
Coke had other ideas, their actions when confronted about the 15% pay disparity varied from disparagement to disrespect, with the ultimate indignity occurring when asked the reason why it was happening, they said “That’s the way it has always been”, to which our members said, “Well not any more it won’t ”
After more than 8 months of bargaining, including 4 months o industrial action on May 3, 2024 Coke surrendered and an historical wrong was righted Pay parity was achieved We caught up with some of the delegates involved in this important win.
For Cairns delegate Adam, who has been on strike since Janu holding regular pickets outside Cairns landmarks like Gilligan backpackers & nightclub, the win is massive.
didn t expect to win, the campaign was a roller coaster, but we were committed, and we showed the power of sticking together.” Sean from Townsville said the campaign was huge, and the outcomes set the benchmark for upcoming negotiations across other Coke sectors.
“Coke tested our resolve and realised we would not be compromised; we are proud we stood up and took on the massive corporation that is Coke. We showed everyone matters and we would not be pushed around.”
Seasoned Rockhampton and state conference delegate Rodney was scathing of Coke’s tactics and disrespect for not only the regional techs, but also the sales teams affected by the industrial action as well.
“The campaign showed Coke’s true colours, their disrespect for the work regional techs do was inescapable, they just didn’t understand the important role we play. As a consequence of their incompetence they found out the hard way that without our skills and support they are screwed.”
“The outcome is overwhelming, we fought, and we won, the effort paid off. I’ve been at Coke for more than 20 years and this is the first time we have pay parity, we knew at some point we needed to take em on over their disrespectful ‘we’ve always done it this way’ excuse, well not anymore you don’t”
COMMUNICATIONS, MANUFACTURING & GENERAL TRADE
It’s been a busy few months in the comms, manufacturing and general trade section of the union. Along with the huge campaign and win with our members in Coca-Cola, we had good wins with other Coca-Cola agreements, Arnott’s and a few other companies, and we have continued negotiations with DP World, Uniting Care Health, City parklands and kicked off negotiations with Brisbane City Council, Qantas, Alstef to name just some of the activity going on.
In recent weeks we have also seen a rash of redundancies, most of these have been handled very poorly by the companies and have resulted in disputation with the union. Fortunately, there is still good demand in industry for skilled tradespeople and members have not been out of work long where we have not been able to stop them happening. One of the benefits of being a member of the ETU is that we have great contacts throughout our industries and can help members find work if and when that arises.
In July we held our annual Manufacturing and General Trade conference, this year we had more delegates attending than ever before representing workers from all around the state and NT. This is great opportunity for members across the diverse industries in this section to get together and discuss issues and come up with actions and plans to support members and drive outcomes that benefit all members across the section of the union. We will have a full report in the next issue of the journal.
ARNOTT’S MEMBERS ON THE PICKET
COKE MEMBERS
CONSTRUCTION
Many ETU members working in construction in the Brisbane region will know Tom Campbell and Ross Malvenan. Tommy and Rosco, as they are known to workmates and comrades, were founding members of the Old School Committee and long-standing and staunch members of our great union the two currently work together on the massive Queens Wharf project in Brisbane’s CBD, in the isolations office
Tommy was the first to run the office, which has become pivotal in keeping workers at the Wharf safe. Construction jobs don’t commonly have an isolations office, with the setup more often seen on large mine sites or gas fields. But for the complicated Queens Wharf job, it was a necessity. When asked if he had worked on a construction job this complex previously, Tommy said “none of us have.”
The challenge at Queens Wharf has always been coordinating the many different electrical contractors working onsite. There have been 3 different builders with up to 16 different contractors on site at any one time, and with the job nearing completion, and fit-outs commencing in the retail area, there is likely to be even more in the coming months.
Tommy describes the state of things before the isolations office was created “The mains were managed by one company, then the switchboards were owned by another company We had to figure out how to manage things safely.”
The walls of the isolations office are covered in drawings featuring every switchboard, generator, and transformer on site. Tommy and Rosco also manage the coordination of single-line diagrams on the job ensuring that differing labelling systems between contractors are corrected and consolidated onto accurate single-line drawings with a uniform labelling system An often arduous and complicated task due to the sheer scale of the project and number of interfacing contractors. “We update the drawings on a weekly, if not daily basis,” says Rosco. “So even if the contractors have an old version, we always have the updated versions, and contractors can come by the office and know they’re seeing the most up to date drawings.”
The process sounds simple Someone will apply to energise something, Tommy will check it out, Rosco will then look over it “I check their work, and Rosco checks my work. If we’re both happy, then work will commence,” says Tommy. This means that before anything is energised, there will have been at least three sets of eyes on any piece of work to ensure that all of the contractors involved are on the same page and all of the relevant works, QA, paperwork and commissioning relative to the energisation have been completed.
What makes the process complicated is the interaction between contractors who are working on different elements of the same electrical installation, often overlapping on their isolation and energisation requirements.
There’s a system of black (boundary), yellow (isolation), and red locks (personal) along with lockboxes with multiple layers of scrutiny and controls. When it comes to re-energisation permits, contractors must complete compliance checks and the associated paperwork and submit it to the isolations office who will then check it off to ensure that there can be no unauthorised or mistaken energisations of circuits and that the circuit is safe to re-energise This system has proven itself time and time again, backed up by the fact that there has not been a single incident on the project related to isolations or energisations “We’re almost at 1600 permits that have come through the isolations office,” says Rosco.
Construction is slowly starting to pick up now heading into the back end of the year with a lot of the projects everyone has been asking about to have started to finally turn dirt.
Some of the majors to mention…
The $1 3 billion Redcliffe Hospital upgrade has started early stages, with the main package still out to tender Nilsen currently has the early works
Cross River Rail is starting to slowly move into commissioning stages in the tunnel section of the project and the station builds are moving along nicely. The negotiations for the next project agreement will commence at the back end of the year. Organisers will be on the job regularly to hold log of claims meetings. The safety across this project is still well below the standard that we expect on a $6 billion job I encourage all members to call an organiser at any moment you feel unsafe
Future fuels at Ampol is now well underway. Kent has the FEED (front end engineering and design) section of the project, and is currently taking on employees. Although the current rates and conditions Kent is employing workers under a subpar agreement for a project of its size in SEQ. We hope to have the main construction build completed under a union-endorsed EBA So, watch this space
Prince Charles car park and hospital upgrade are well underway Perigon has the main electrical package for this project.
The PA and QE2 hospital upgrades are about to start. Both are massive upgrades which are proposed to be completed by 2027.
Trainline upgrades are in full swing with Qelectrical and Stowe picking up the major works across the board This is also in preparation for the N to N (Narangba to Nambour) project to start with the hard rail upgrades heading north to the Sunshine Coast.
We are also starting to see stations and new lines being built down south towards the Gold Coast all aligned with the budget of the Cross River Rail
EBAs are moving along smoothly with nearly all the majors in the fire, security and comms demographics on board. There are only one or two more companies to sign on to the agreement we hope to have that all wrapped up in the next couple of months.
TOMMY & ROSCO
POLITICS MATTERS
We’ve all heard it and many of us have felt it too. “I can’t be bothered with politics I’ve got more important things to worry about.” Or “they are all the same, who gives a shit anyway.” Well sorry to burst your bubble on both counts if this is how you feel.
Former Labor PM Paul Keating said in 1996, “When you change the government, you change the country.” And the Howard years showed us what that meant for working people with the Liberal and National Government’s hated and ill-fated Workchoices legislation.
While you may think politics does not matter to you, think again. In a state like Queensland with a single parliamentary chamber, a change of government can truly change the state. The most recent case in point was the 34-month disastrous Newman LNP experiment from 2012-15 which left a trail of destruction across all aspects of Queensland life. During that dark time more than 2000 ETU members were sacked across QHealth, QBuild, TMR, Ergon, Energex and Powerlink along with public owned generators Stanwell and CS Energy, services were cut, depots earmarked for closure and communities torn apart. Politics or more precisely who Queensland voted for mattered alright. On the second point, “they are all the same and who gives a shit anyway.”
When it comes to workers’ rights and conditions, they are clearly not all the same and the throw away line can have far reaching consequences see above.
Even in the dark days of Bligh, the reasons we fought so hard against Rail privatisation was because privatisation or the sale of public assets was AGAINST ALP policy which promotes public ownership.
Under Newman there was no such policy position, the LNP have and will always have policies that PROMOTE privatisation, and outsourcing.
This was clearly evidenced by the LNP who voted ‘no’ to the Miles Labor government’s legislation to guarantee public ownership of our power assets back in April this year, the LNP tabled three pages of amendments that backed privatisation of all public electricity assets. Thankfully the legislation passed without amendment, locking in public ownership of our assets, but the signal was clear. The LNP has learnt nothing from 9 years in opposition they still support selling off electricity assets to private companies.
When it comes to workers’ rights and protections the evidence is arguably starker, Newman, Crissafulli, Bates and many others cut jobs, slashed wages, abolished the Electrical Safety Office, outsourced services and decapitated Workers Comp. The ALP has had to rebuild first and improve later.
We only have to look at significant policy changes implemented over the past 9 years to see, for all its faults the ALP is very different (better) than the LNP and their One Nation mates when it comes to workers’ rights and investment into public ownership.
Six key changes that have improved ETU workers’ rights, wages and conditions:
BPICS1. Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and Energy Workers Charter 2 Massive increases in wages and conditions across all state govt sectors 3. Industrial Manslaughter and Wage Theft legislation 4. Rebuild of QBuild 5. Record investment into TAFE and apprenticeships. 6.
So in this election year you will be required to vote for a new state government that will make decisions about your working life for the next 4 years. You owe it to yourself and your family to be informed, give a shit and make sure you vote for a government that makes your life as a worker better not worse.
ETU MERCH SCAN TO
Many members of our great union will be very familiar with the Not4Sale campaign, a campaign to stop governments from selling off our power assets. The campaign has been run three times in Queensland, in 2012, 2015, and 2017. This year, we have re-launched Not4Sale once again in the lead-up to the 2024 Queensland election, where the LNP Opposition has shown itself to be pro-privatisation. The LNP has hinted at planning to sell all state-owned power assets, and attempted to pass amendments earlier this year that would allow for this.
The LNP has a history of privatisation, so nobody is surprised that the Crisafulli government is planning for this.
The ETU has a proud history of opposing privatisation We know that with state-owned power assets, electricity is less expensive for households, there are more, fairer, and safer job opportunities and apprenticeships for electrical workers, and the service delivery is of a higher standard.
Take part in the campaign and be part of the important fight to protect our energy assets. For more information, speak to your delegate or organiser!
We will need all hands on deck to ensure the money hungry LNP doesn’t win the Queensland election. Get involved in upcoming actions, or just start talking to workmates, family, and your community about putting the LNP LAST in October!
PLAYBOOK Cricketer Chris Lynn’s platform connects kids to coaches all over Australia
Brisbane Heat Captain Chris Lynn has been playing cricket since he was 18 years old Early on in his cricket career, he engaged a personal coach, which he says ‘changed everything’.
Years later, Chris founded Playbook, a platform that connects people to coaches, no matter their sporting ability or aspirations. “It’s not about being the next Wallaby or Diamond,” says co-founder Keiren Murphy. “Sport has so much more power than that It’s about belonging ”
Keiran is proud to say that Playbook helps kids build confidence and competence in all areas of their lives, through the power of sport. The idea for Playbook came about when Chris had double reconstruction surgery on his shoulder and asked the question, “why can’t we create a platform where more coaches, more people, are available to inspire this generations of kids to be whatever they want to be and give theem the confidence and competence to do what they want to do in life ”
Playbook creates a platform for coaching and for mentoring The mentoring aspect helps to build kids’ soft skills that aren’t always delivered in club training sessions. “We teach things like resilience in these sessions, for example a lot of athlete’s journeys aren’t always straight forward – there are ups and downs along the way. It gives the ability for kids to learn from those who have come before,” says Keiran.
A huge focus for the founders when creating the platform was accessibility “The access that I had as a kid growing up was really good, but some kids don’t get that opportunity,” says Chris.
Playbook allows parents or family members to book coaching sessions with their kids in person, or via video chat, providing options for families living outside main cities and towns in Australia.
“We want kids to be resilient We want them to wake up in the morning and understand that sometimes life’s not easy, but you can work through it and overcome hurdles.”
CHRIS VISITS THE ETU OFFICE
Playbook has captured a part of the market that is often forgotten about, making it easier for parents working away from home in remote locations like mines, or other FIFO work, to set aside time to spend with their kids
Some parents have set up video calls with coaches while on away swings for work, logging in to the call from work, while their child logs in from home and the coach from wherever they’re located. It provides a new opportunity for parents working away to spend some meaningful time with children while in a different location
Playbook is an easy-to-use platform that connects people to coaches for skill and confidence building. The platform makes finding, booking, and paying for a coach easy. Playbook vets all the coaches on its platform, and verifies each coach that holds a Working With Children card.
Check out the platform by scanning the QR code below, or visiting www playbook coach
Playbook also has gift cards available, which make a great gift for the kids in your life, while giving parents and guardians the ability to book sessions that work for their schedule.
SUNSHINE
COAST
G’day Comrades,
Thanks to everyone that came along to Labour Day, we had a good turnout, the weather was good and by all reports everyone had a good day Hopefully we can grow the numbers next year This year’s shirts were well received as were the ETU straw hats. Don’t forget that Labour day is where we hand out our T-shirts and hats.
Since the last journal article, I have been negotiating the Fraser Coast Council agreement, Unity Water agreement, and Laminex Monkland agreement, all of which had to go to the stage of taking protected action to get an outcome. At the time of writing this, I am hopeful the Laminex and Unity Water agreements will get over the line with a decent uplift in wages and conditions but the Fraser Coast Council agreement is nowhere near done.
Our electricians at the council have been taking protected action for the past couple of months in pursuit of a fair wage offer. Currently, they sit roughly $12 - $15 per hour behind other electricians in their community – they are way behind Hopefully we can secure a better deal for our electricians without the EBA negotiations having to go to arbitration, which could take over a year to work through. We have good strong membership there and we will keep up the fight
Unfortunately, I am still dealing with a dispute we are having with Downer Rail for the new train build for the Olympics Currently, Downer is contracting out work that would have traditionally been completed by our union members inhouse at Maryborough. What’s worse is the contractor that they want to award this work to wants nothing to do with the union or a union agreement. More to come on this.
The construction site at Torbanlea is slow going due to the weather, and still only has one electrican on site. Hopefully things get moving before the end of the year.
Woodford Prison is starting to happen, and we should see some movement by the end of the year there. At the moment it is just ground clearing which could take some time
As far as I know there is not much movement, if any, at the Borumba Dam Pumped Hydro Project
As always, we could have only achieved the outcomes we are achieving of better wages and conditions in our agreements because of good union membership and solid union members that are willing to fight for what they are worth. Keep up the good fight comrades.
NORTH QUEENSLAND
QSL
In recent times, we have seen some of our ongoing EBAs wrapped up QSL managed to come to a mutually acceptable agreement during the new mandatory commission conciliation conference as a part of the PABO process. QSL is a company that has never faced the threat of industrial action before, but things went a little bit differently this time. With 98%+ ETU membership across all QSL terminals, ETU members were not willing to let QSL’s offer fall short of what was tabled from the members. QSL ETU members returned a ballot of 100% participation with 100% YES to all industrial action items This prompted movement from the company which saw an increase of 15% over 3 years with backpay until 1 Jan 2024 Included was the reintroduction of a CPI safety net in the agreement, the retention of above-market super contributions which the company had their eye on, plus the skills matrix has also now been referenced in the EA.
We also saw an outstanding increase for our most vulnerable in the workplace, the apprentices. Apprentices in QSL were paid as per the Sugar Industry Award, instead of a percentage of the tradespeople’s wage Union members stood in solidarity with these apprentices, vowing to fix this bastardry The result was a huge win for our lowest paid, with a new pay table being introduced for apprentices based off the tradesperson EA rates. This meant a massive $340 per week increase for a 1st year apprentice, while a 4th year will see an extra $540 per week.
I was extremely proud to see the outcomes the members secured in their EA It shows what can be done when union members stick together in solidarity Well done to all at QSL and congratulations on the outcomes you achieved for your workplace
JBS
JBS has also reach mutual agreement at the negotiating table, as I write this update the access period for the proposed EA is taking place with the vote on the document scheduled to take place next week. This new agreement sees wage increases of 23 5% over a 3 year period, with 17 5% on certification of the agreement if voted up Although these workers were a fair way behind industry standard rates, this increase will go a long way to playing catch up. The membership was happy with the proposal and welcomes these much needed increases during the cost of living pressures we are facing.
Incitec
Incitec Pivot Limited in Mt Isa negotiations have also been continuing Though progress is slow at this stage, things are progressing in the right direction The company has been open and transparent, with both sides of the table are understanding claims put forward. With outstanding union density and committed delegates on site, we should see things progressing at a faster rate soon.
Wilmar
Wilmar, now aren’t they the gift that just keeps on giving, although all they are giving at the moment is people headaches, not wage increases! After over 80% of the workforce voted down the appalling offer put out by the company, Wilmar refused to meet face to face with the unions again to continue negotiations. After repeated failed attempts to invite the company back to the table and the crushing season fast approaching, the unions proceed with a PABO application. With union density across the mills at high levels, and an extremely frustrated workforce, it came at no surprise that all unions returned ballots of over 95%, with the ETU PABO returning 98 8% participation with 98 8% YES to all industrial action items Industrial action started taking place across all 8 mills before Wilmar attempted to play victim, lodged a bargaining dispute and engaged the Fair Work Commission (FWC). From the commission hearing we got exactly what the unions had been requesting since December 2023 – a face-to-face SBU meeting. Though we met and the unions made a genuine attempt to move the process forward by dropping our wage claim 3% from 25% down to 22%, the company continued to show its arrogance by stating “you’re still too far away, we are not moving while you’re sitting up at 22%” With protected industrial action not only continuing but increasing with the crush fast approaching. With the crush being only a week away and the members having the whole community’s best interest at heart, in a last minute bid to reach agreement the unions put a counter offer forward at the FWC feedback hearing – 18% wage increases over a 3yr agreement, we would
walk away from all other claims on the table in exchange for our $1 per hour Electrical Licence Allowance, with a commitment being made that if the company supported our counter offer that all industrial action would cease effective immediately while we let a fair voting process play out.
Wilmar did not even consider our position, only to advise the SBU that they had already planned to roll out an agreement to vote the week after all the seasonal employees came back on deck. This included 14.25% wage increases over a 3.5yr period, with a sugar hit of a $1500 sign-on bonus. In reality, this offer would only push Wilmar employees even further behind industry standards than they already are.
With another sub-standard offer being rolled out, industrial action continued to ramp up We have also launched our Goodman Fielder BOYCOTT campaign at ACTU Congress in early June. Goodman Fielder is a company owned by Wilmar who provide household products Australians enjoy every day. This campaign has now been taken to a national level. A vote NO campaign kicked off as Wilmar management started with threats of serious disciplinary action for anyone found promoting a NO vote in the workplace After management were reminded of employee rights under the Act, the bullying and intimidation accusations seemed to quell While union officials along with ETU State Secretary Peter Ong were on the road completing mass meetings at the mills, members were taking an hour stoppage to attend these meetings, although in a bid to try and stop union members from getting feedback from their officials, Wilmar came out with a LOCKOUT order – meaning any worker who takes even one minute of any form of industrial action will be locked out of their workplace without pay indefinitely We shifted the time of the meetings to after work hours so we can ensure no worker is locked out while waiting on the outcome of the vote The meetings continued while the campaign is growing with a whole lot of media attention. We saw the ALP, LNP, and Katter Party all align to come out and call on Wilmar to get back to the table, negotiate in good faith, and offer a wage increase that these loyal workers rightly deserve.
The ballot results returned with 84.7% of the workforce voting NO to Wilmar’s sub-standard offer Industrial action continued and Wilmar withdrew their lockout notice Wilmar then agreed to meet with the SBU where they indicated they wanted to engage in “meaningful discussions” Once back at the negotiating table Wilmar refused to put a new offer on the table, again demanding the unions lower their current position. The Company indicated they had a “window to work in” this window was between 14.25% & 15% over a 3.5 year period. This is actually a four year term given the length of time the EA has been expired.
LANCE’S UPDATE
“The past few months have been a big period for ETU members We’ve locked in a job security guarantee, our renewable energy targets, and critically the majority public ownership of Queensland’s energy system.
By locking in that public ownership, you can all be incredibly proud of the role you are playing in doing what matters for Queensland with at least a $1,300 discount off every single electricity bill
We’ve also delivered a new five-year Queensland Skills Strategy, informed by many stakeholders, including the mighty ETU, to deliver the skills for the good jobs created by over $100 billion construction Big Build.
Our plan will train one million Queenslanders with free or subsidised training, and it delivers on Labor’s commitment to you with 70,000 Free TAFE places.
And it couldn’t come at a better time because thanks to the Miles Labor government, right now there are electrical apprentices training to become the next crop of Queensland SuperGrid Superheroes – and they’re doing it for free.
They’re an army of students, 5,000 just last year, set to take up a highpaying, hi-vis career in Queensland’s Big Build of renewable energy.
They’ll be working on everything from residential and commercial construction to large scale renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution, battery and pumped hydro storage.
Or like 19-year-old apprentice Cooper Gough, on the nation’s biggest power station… Queensland’s rooftop solar.
But while Cooper is on his way to a good career, I'm really worried for the students who are enrolling in Free TAFE for Semester 2 right now.
What happens to them in October under an LNP Government?
The LNP will jack up fees, sell off campuses, and sack workers like they did last time The LNP will sell off and privatise our energy industry like they tried to do last time.
Labor’s Free TAFE and The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan are your golden tickets to get the skills you need to get a good, secure, highly paid job.
The Miles government’s message to Queenslanders is that your future is locked in under Labor.”
Lance McCallum Minister for Employment, Training and Skills Development
LIFTS & GOLD COAST
Gold Coast Region
Work on the Gold Coast in construction is starting to take shape with EBA contractors starting to employ our members as projects start to ramp up I have mapped about 12 billion dollars of work that has been DA approved – builders or developers, I’ll be making sure these projects are delivered in line with our EBA rates and conditions and that safety is a key focus. If builders or developers decide to engage contractors that have a disregard for safety or installations that are non-compliant, they will be soon made aware that if you choose to cut corners and roll the dice on safety, you will be a focus from the ETU on all your sites
Coomera Hospital is still slow going but by the next journal article we should know of the contractors engaged on this billion-dollar project. Towards the back end of this year, you will start to see a shift on the Gold Coast with all these projects coming online. This is already starting to show with sub branch numbers averaging 70 each meeting. We have already discussed our next sub branch moving location to a venue that can hold these numbers as we have outgrown the Varsity Lakes office Credit to the delegates and activists for all coming together to discuss your industry
Gold Coast City Council EBA is currently out for a vote. We have landed on a 36 hour week with no loss of pay, which is massive for Council outside workers. The wins are as follows:
Wage increases:
Year - 1 5%
Year 2 - 4 5%
Year 3 - 4%
The 36 hour week (which is equivalent to a 5% increase based on hours)
5% relativity allowance on top of the wage increase which was added to the Local Area Agreement Rates Table before being inserted back into the Agreement
The total wage increase over three years equates to 23 5% for electrical workers. If you’re a member working for Council, this makes good headway into having discussions with non-members.
It was a great outcome, and excellent work from the delegates for my first council agreement in the patch. It’s been a pleasure working alongside you all and I’m looking forward to increasing membership in this space Don’t forget about the next sub branch!
GOLD COAST SUB BRANCH
KONE MEMBERS ON STRIKE
Lift Industry
Currently, negotiations have stalled with Kone NEB / TRB Northern Region after the latest proposed offer was put to members. Members have directed us to push forward with the sub-contractor/job security clause wording to strengthen their industry and flush out the sub-contractors that are NOT paying the terms and conditions as per the Kone agreement We have put together a clause to strengthen job security and the key focus is for Kone to directly hire rather than using sub-contractors. As I write this, members on the Star Casino Gold Coast job have been on protected action for 24 days now and counting – they are holding firm.
ONE DAY LONGER ONE DAY STRONGER
The current offer from Kone, members have rejected due to the job security/contractors clause not being where it needs to be, with members still happy to have an agreement in principle. The rest of the agreement highlights are as follows:
Wage increases:
Year 1 - 6.5%
Year 2 - 6 5%
Year 3 - 5 5%
Superannuation:
Year 1 - 13%
Year 2 - 14%
Year 3 -15%
All overtime paid at double time from the commencement of the agreement
Windsor Income Protection
Multi-Storey Allowance as per BPICs (INCLUSIVE of basement levels)
Site Allowance Table as per BPICs to pick up projects over 1 billion$11p/h
Backpay to 1 March
TOOWOOMBA
& SOUTH WEST
Toowoomba Regional Council EBA
WhenIsanOfferNotanOffer?
EBA negotiations have been ongoing since February this year with over 10 meetings held so far
TRC’s initial wage increase were seen as a positive starting point compared to previous negotiations. TRC offered 6%, 5% and 4% over three years when log of claims were exchanged. After discussions and counter claims were tabled, it was discovered that any claims for additional allowance increases not budgeted by TRC would come out of the second and third year wage increases. In affect leveraging workers against each other It goes to show how TRC don’t respect their workers
The combined unions have consolidated log of claim items and its wage claim at 8%, 6% and 5% which in consideration to current wage levels and cost of living pressures is more than a reasonable claim.
The ETU along with other trade unions continue to pursue the inclusion of the Critical Workers Allowance of $6.50 for all tradespersons, apprentices and trades assistants that perform critical works that maintain important infrastructure for TRC ratepayers
With over 200 current job vacancies and an inability to retain or attract workers the TRC needs to bargain in good faith and ensure the wages and conditions are more fair and reasonable.
COUNCIL MEMBERS IN 2021
Alstom QNGR EBA
ETU members at Walkuraka depot and outstations doing maintenance on electric rolling stock for Queensland Rail are close to voting on a new EBA.
With wordsmithing on the agreement finished and the access period to begin in July workers will get the opportunity to vote on the agreement
With wage increase of 8%, 4%, and 4% over three years and consolidation of allowances for all workers and realignment of wage classifications workers can see a potential wage increase of 35% over the life of the agreement.
Traditionally an area of rail maintenance looked after by the RTBU we have seen increased membership and with the continued hard work of our delegates Harvey Reid and Angus Sullivan we will continue to fight for better wages and conditions
Oakey Beef Export EBA
Long time ETU delegates Stan Quaife and new delegate Dylan Diefenbach have been instrumental in overseeing a great outcome for members at Oakey Beef.
Like many other local industries, Oakey Beef has struggled to maintain and attract workers due to stubborn resistance and greed of management
With persistence by our delegates and the support of members we have achieved a great outcome with over 30% increase in wages for our members.
Gatton Prison
With over 280 members onsite we expect to see Gatton Prison construction phase wind up by the end of the year
With the support of members, delegates and HSRs we will continue to ensure safe standards are continued on the project to the end.
Long-time member Des Beavis continues to excel in his role as compliance officer for John Holland and ensures all ETU members are being looked after In the words of the Great Man “so good, that’s a wow and 100%” Thanks Des, for your continued commitment to workers
New Toowoomba Hospital
Earth works and piling is continuing, and we expect the initial package for electrical pit and pipe will start at the end of August. The electrical contract for this initial package is yet to be signed.
I will continue to ensure regional workers are considered first for regional projects
Damien
SPOTLIGHT ON JORGE AMAYA
Whether it was fighting to live on the war-torn streets of El Salvador, or fighting for workers’ rights on FIFO sites in outback Queensland or representing workers in Energex, ETU State councillor and workplace delegate Jorge Amaya (43) embodies the ETU values of commitment, collectivism, strength and excellence
Family
Jorge has been Married to Marissa for 14 years they have a daughter Emmilia 23, Jorge has three sisters; Veronica 40 who has two children and works in photography and counselling, Aida 38 who also has two kids and works as a psychologist, Erika 36 is a full-time mum with 3 kids Sadly, Jorge’s sister Lupita (deceased) died of pneumonia in El Salvador Most of the family all live in and around Springfield SE Queensland, Jorge lives in Salisbury and his mum Margoth has a counselling and disability support business at Greenbank, Jorge’s father Jose’ lives back in El Salvador
What a journey
During my interview with Jorge, I initially intended to focus on his transition from the high pay, high pressure work as a FIFO major projects worker to the relative security of the state-owned Electrical Supply Industry (ESI) with Energex But as his story unfolded beyond expectations, shedding light on his challenging journey from war-torn El Salvador to Australia, the story itself took over
Born in 1981 during the civil war in El Salvador, Jorge's family faced constant danger due to his dad Jose’ and mum Margoth’s involvement in the left-wing resistance movement His childhood was marked by harrowing experiences, including being kidnapped and separated from his family for several weeks He lost his sister Lupita to poverty-related pneumonia and knew of extended family members who had been killed by right wing death squads. Despite these adversities, Jorge's resilience, and empathy shine through His experiences have shaped his character, making him a stronger person unafraid to speak up when necessary I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the extraordinary journey Jorge has taken so far.
While it is great to stand up and be heard, sometimes it’s best to stay quiet...
“We moved around as lot, for safety reasons, there was a very real fear of death, I remember my mum telling me a story of how we were crossing the border into Honduras we were hiding under a bridge as the Junta’s death squads conducted raids, guns drawn looking for opponents of the regime Mum says I was normally a pretty yappy kid but on this occasion with her heart beating out of her chest I stayed deadly silent, and the men walked away She is in no doubt that if I cried or spoke or even coughed, we would have been shot dead on sight ” (More than 70,000 civilians including, women, children, union and human rights leaders were killed at the hands of the Junta’s army and death squads aided by the US government during the 12-year conflict)
Jorge has other stories too, the one about his uncle who was shot in his arm, after coming to Australia he was too scared to go to hospital for four years to have it removed for fear of being sent back.
Chaos reigns
The conflict's widespread impact and his family's extreme poverty - Jorge’s parents couldn’t afford to send him to school - led to Jorge, at the age of 6 or 7, being abducted by a woman who had lost her own child She informed him that something had happened to his parents and that she would take care of him now Amid the chaos, he believed her
"It was a strange feeling; I didn't feel traumatized exactly. I was sad, but I was being provided for, food and clothes etc Initially, everything seemed
fine, but when she prevented me from leaving the house, it started to feel a bit scary."
After a few weeks, the kidnapper brought Jorge to a local market, where a vigilant vendor recognized him from the posters displayed in the town and alerted the authorities. Within moments, the police intervened, returning Jorge to his tearful and relieved parents
“It has shaped my life, I think I am a stronger person, not much shakes me and because of where I have come from, I am not frightened to stand up when needed ”
Wollongong here we come
In 1989 the family emigrated to Australia as part of the skilled migration intake, Jose’, Margoth, Jorge 8, Veronica 5, Aida 3 and Erika 1 landing in Wollongong where Jose’ picked up work with BHP.
“Wollongong was where I first became aware of unions, dad was proud union member at the heavily unionised BHP Steelworks and I can remember we would get food parcels from Vinnies, when dad would be on strike, he stood strong, I admired that.”
After 3-4 years in Wollongong, the Amaya family’s Australian journey brought them to Brisbane’s multi-cultural, working-class western suburbs, where most haven’t moved far from since.
After completing high school at Oxley Secondary College, Jorge took a job in the upholstery furniture industry where he would come face to face with low pay, managerial bastardry and disrespect.
A lesson in who not to trust
For the next 5-6 years Jorge worked 10–12-hour days and pretty much did all the overtime available for a furniture company “I had a strong work ethic and was keen to learn all I could and save as much as I could. I was loyal to the company, but the pay was rubbish, I was on about $11.00 an hour ”
“When I was offered a new role as a leading hand, I thought now is a good time to negotiate a pay rise I had just bought a house and on my calculations, I needed to earn at least $13 per hour to keep paying the bills, I went to the boss and laid out my arguments and he said, ‘WHY WOULD I APAY YOU $2 MORE WHEN I CAN GET SOMEONE ELSE TO WORK FOR WHAT YOU ARE GETTING NOW’”
“It was a turning point for me, learning who I could and couldn’t trust and what the company thought of me, I knew I was going to leave but on my terms. Although I didn’t know it at the time, I also learnt valuable union principles
JORGE AT THE ETU OFFICE
“When I handed in my resignation and the boss got flustered and said he would offer me more than I had asked for first off, he offered me an extra $5 per hour. I just looked at him and said I don’t care how much more you offer me, I don’t care if it’s $20 more, what you told me when I first asked for better pay let me know what you thought of me. I don’t want to work for you, and I walked out.”
After making the decision to leave but before resigning Jorge started to research other opportunities. “I had always had an interest in how electricity works As a naturally curious person I found out that I could do some pre-vocational training and work towards becoming an electrician.”
While still working in the furniture factory Jorge did night school two days a week for 6 months and once he finished that, he heard that Hay Day Electrical were looking for apprentice Electrical Fitter Mechanic’s. Jorge made the call and soon after he resigned from his job in upholstery (as above) and in early 2005 Jorge’s Electrical and ETU journey began in earnest. A journey that continues to sustain Jorge’s thirst for challenges and his enjoyment of the trade
Joining the ETU
“The ETU were on site holding meetings at Hay Day and something came up about apprentice wages, I had a feeling I was being underpaid but wasn’t sure, the organiser had a look at my rate, my age and said yeah mate you are not being paid the adult apprenticeship rate, let’s go fix it up. I thought, wow that is something I want to be part of. So, as we were getting the rate fixed up and back pay sorted, I joined the ETU. And I have never looked back ”
Jorge spent a fruitful and rewarding six years at Hay Day, four as an apprentice, and two as a tradie working in construction, but Jorge is never one to be held back, and by 2011 he felt that he had outgrown the company.
“I had some great years at Hay Day learning heaps from the old timers who had been around for 20, 30 and some even 40 years, they taught me a lot about union values, respecting the trade and the importance of quality workmanship. But I started to notice that I was not learning or achieving as much as I would like, the manager was holding me back, the opportunities were just not here for me to enhance my skills ” By the time Jorge left Hay Day he had also completed his first stint as an ETU delegate, a role he continues to perform to this day.
FIFO here we go – major projects
From 2011 – 2020
After his time at Hay Day and with limited work opportunities in the local Brisbane area, Jorge embarked on a nearly decade-long career in the demanding FIFO major projects area. Like many in this field, he encountered both the successes and challenges of high-pressure, highreward jobs. Working on major projects in Queensland during the gas boom of the 2010s, Jorge witnessed firsthand the negative impacts of isolation, motelling, heat stress, extended work hours, lengthy commutes, and time away from loved ones. Despite these hardships, FIFO workers like Jorge found solace in strong union networks, fair wages, and a sense of camaraderie on most sites
Jorge's FIFO journey took him across various locations, from unionised coal sites in outback Queensland to CSG installations in Darwin and Queensland and poorly managed solar farms in Western Queensland. Jorge gives his reflections on some of the good, bad and the ugly side of FIFO
“Yeah, It can be summed up as where there was a strong union presence and culture the experiences were generally good, a great example was in Moranbah where I worked on an Ammonia Nitrate plant with a great workplace culture, no motelling, strong union presence, employerprovided travel, a 3 and 1 roster, and excellent amenities I worked there for over a year.”
“During the gas boom there were projects popping up all over, one example of the not so good experiences was the Condabri Development area CSG project which although having a good union presence had some major issues with anti-union management tactics, motelling, reliance on 457 visa holders and labour hire, a demanding 21/7 roster, and a thankfully unsuccessful attempt to “segregate” union and non-union workers On the last point, the anti-union tactics backfired spectacularly
when following safety concerns, APLNG intervened, putting an end to the segregation practice, combining the workers to pursue a safe working environment. By the project's end, we achieved 100% union membership in the electrical area I worked there for about 18 months ”
“During the gas boom there were projects popping up all over, one example of the not so good experiences was the Condabri Development area CSG project which although having a good union presence had some major issues with anti-union management tactics, motelling, reliance on 457 visa holders and labour hire, a demanding 21/7 roster, and a thankfully unsuccessful attempt to “segregate” union and non-union workers. On the last point, the anti-union tactics backfired spectacularly when following safety concerns, APLNG intervened, putting an end to the segregation practice, combining the workers to pursue a safe working environment. By the project's end, we achieved 100% union membership in the electrical area I worked there for about 18 months ”
“My worst FIFO experience was on a solar farm in western Queensland, completely disorganised, non EBA, no accommodation organised, riddled with backpackers and labour hire workers. No amenities on site, we even had backpackers shitting near the arrays. Appalling workplace.”
Coming home
Jorge was one of the ETU senior delegates on the Darwin CSG project when he made the decision to return to Brisbane, for Jorge the decision was not easy, and although the transition was harder than expected, he is adamant it was the right decision to make.
“I was sitting in Darwin, doing a 4 on 1 off swing and I started to realise how much family life I was missing out on, Emmilia was growing up so fast, I was missing out on milestones, she was only around 8 when I started FIFO, she was well and truly a teenager when I finally finished.”
But still there was a sense of letting his mates down, he was the senior delegate, and he took the role very seriously.
“It was a tough decision, I had the conversation with Ongy, he was disappointed but understood the importance of family, and so it was, I left the job and packed my bags for Brisbane. I had a family to go back to, but no job ”
JORGE AT ESI CONFERENCE
Transition begins
After about a year out of work or working in labour hire, an experience that Jorge reckons was an eye opener and a valuable learning experience, Jorge began the transition process.
“Working in labour hire was a really important experience for me, I knew mates who were struggling with it, and I wanted to feel what they were feeling so I could talk from lived experience ”
In 2018 Jorge heard about a short term 6-month contract with Energex in the Metering Department
“I thought why not give it a go, I liked the idea of a standard 36 hour week and RDO’s so I called and was offered a position, during the 6 months, the contract was extended to 18 months and during that time permanent
positions came up, I applied and was successful in winning one of them And I have been at Energex since.”
While at Energex Jorge has taken opportunities to upskill and reskill and after completing 5 years of continuous and learning a whole new set of competencies Jorge’s professional journey has ramped up a notch. “I have progressed from Metering Tech – to Electrical Connections Officer to Electrical Connections Officer 2 over 100 amps to Advanced Connections Officer – shock investigations with ESO. And recently I have been promoted to the role of Commercial and Industrial Officer, which deals with connections for large customers in the commercial and industrial space, where my role is to organise and inspect jobs.”
Family
During an interview back in 2012 as part of a feature on the CSG/LNG boom and the impact of FIFO on family life, Jorge said if it ever got too much for them, he would give it up and have a crack at getting a job closer to home. Back then he was working FIFO on the Argyle project in Western Queensland where, as a 31-year-old ETU delegate he was already starting to make his mark in the industry and the ETU.
What has changed since he gave up FIFO for a position working in Brisbane with Energex?
“Once I made the decision to move back, it was done, there was no looking back, I had no job to come back to, so I had 12 months of transient labour hire work, but for the first month it was a matter of re-adjusting and re connecting with family”
“The hours of work at Energex are much better, I’m home every night and I’ve been there for Emmilia’s 18th and 21st birthdays and other milestones I definitely have a happier family life with more time to connect, holidays are not rushed, more time for myself as well and I can spend time with my extended family – mum and my sisters who all live locally ”
How has the family taken to having you around more often, was it hard for you to transition from camp living to home life?
“It was a bit difficult at first, took some adjusting, more so for Marissa and Emmalia rather than me, they were used to having me around 5-6 days every month, suddenly I weas there every day and night. They had their own routines and I had to adjust to that, it took some give and take but we are used to it now "
If you had to give some advice to members considering making the transition from FIFO and project work to the Electrical Supply Industry what would you say?
1 The opportunities
There are lots of opportunities – and a huge diversity of jobs which is going to grow even more, EQL is really supportive re: training and professional development
2. The benefits
Permanent work, no forced redundancies, flexibility, diversity
3 The challenges
Learning a new trade, knowing how the network works. Wages initially because you start at the bottom, but with professional development you can progress pretty quickly
4. The wages and conditions
FIFO wages are usually better, but the lifestyle is unsustainable long term especially with kids Ater the latest EBA package the wage disparity is reducing.
5. Work Life Balance
Energex is hands down far better for me
6. The training and skills required to make the shift
Depending on the areas, there are openings for those willing to do the work, great opportunities for advancement and professional development with a diversity of work available.
Overall, do you think for you it has been a positive experience transitioning from FIFO Project work to ESI work?
Absolutely positive experience, the opportunity to learn more and earn more is there I have been impressed with the way I have been treated by the company, there is a culture of respect, they have treated me the best I have ever been treated by an employer ”
Is there anything you wish you knew before making the transition?
“The standby roster – it can be challenging, on call 24/7 working odd hours, however it is an expectation of the job. Given the commitment to have 75% of employees there at all times applying for and getting annual leave can be problematic, but they are the logistics of managing the network ”
Being ETU means
“Being the best example of a union member, supporting comrades, knowing if someone or a group need help, we have their back, showing people we are strong and willing to fight ”
Biggest influences on career and union journey
Jorge's ability to connect with others and his enthusiasm for learning have been instrumental in shaping a successful career path, starting from his apprenticeship to his current position.
“Along my journey, I had the privilege of working with solid ETU members at Hay Day who had 20, 30, 40 years’ experience in the construction industry. They helped shape my union values, they had the interests of workers and our trade at heart. They lived by the mantra, to be the best unionist and get the best pay and conditions – you need to be the best workers, respect your craft, enhance your skills, ensure safety and take pride in your work ”
From a union perspective Jorge pays tribute to Ongy, Stuey, Lynchy, Dan McGaw, and fellow delegates like Aaron "Frosty" Self who have had a profound impact on Jorge's personal and professional development.
“They all helped me to grow, learn things about myself, learn how to have patience when talking to members, how to actively listen, how to handle people and situations.”
Furthermore, comrades including Hoggy, John Cleary, Johnny A, and Strawbs have been pivotal in educating Jorge on union principles.
“The union has given me knowledge and the ability to grow, as a state councillor I have been privileged to be involved in some great initiatives and developing blueprints to take our union forward As a delegate receiving the training and support from Ongy and others has given me the tools and confidence to represent members interests effectively.”
Winning for members
While Jorge has been involved in some decent union campaigns over the years, a couple stand out as special
“Fighting alongside Ongy, Dan McGaw and the delegates for members who were underpaid super at a Chinchilla CSG project We won backpays ranging from $3K-$6K into their super accounts. At another gas plant, Condabri, we successfully campaigned for an Emergency Response Team on site.
But above all else the thing I’m most proud of is the work I have done over the years to achieve membership growth in numbers and activism. Having conversations, educating and activating workers It’s a great feeling when you see them growing in confidence and standing up when needed.”
Outside of work
Mauy Thai Kick Boxing
Keeping fit – for my mental health
Combat training – improving myself physically and mentally I like the challenges
I enjoy going bush with family and/or mates – no phones, Enjoy camping with family in the Warwick area
Renovating our house – chipping away
Each year me and a group of mates head over to Straddie for a boy’s weekend
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
“Still in the role I am in or similar and meeting the challenges as they present themselves Still representing members and performing the role as delegate and state councillor with excellence.”
Something your mates wouldn’t know about you that you are willing to share!!!
The kidnapping
Advice for anyone considering taking up an electrical trade. “Ifyoulikechallengesandvariety,itcanbeveryrewarding”
“The variety of the work is amazing, from installations to air conditioning, cabling, motors and much more, but I really like the problem-solving aspects of faults the most.”
“Being presented with a problem, thinking about how to solve it, so many considerations to take into account, it’s satisfying when you fix it.”
Thanks to Jorge for sharing this amazing journey with us, One Union…Many Stories
FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
Comrades, a fair bit has happened in the Far Northern area since the last journal article, we have had three successful May Day events at Cairns, Thursday Island and Weipa with record attendances, we have had local government elections, culminating in the election of a local council mayor who outwardly campaigned on “right sizing” council, whom appears to be in crisis already, we have settled a number of agreements and are in the trenches on a few more
I will start off with the wins, since the last Journal, we have signed local electrical contractor Babinda Electrics (BE) to a regional EBA, the first in the construction sector in this region for about 12 years. That is a massive achievement and testament to those staunch members who have struggled through that period and who have collectively demanded an agreement. This agreement will see a massive uplift to pay and conditions but will also shore up BE for government work and has led the way for another company Northpoint Power and Data to also request a regional EBA. That deal is all but done and will leave the region with two EBA companies born and bred out of Cairns which is a first for the region. A massive thanks to all of those members who have paved the way
With thanks to the individual and collective actions taken by Ergon Energy members across the state and specifically for me, those in my patch, they have at the time of writing landed a great deal and are in the process of voting A ‘rising tide lifts all vessels’ and the efforts and outcomes achieved by highly unionised and activated workforces such as Ergon Energy, not only shows the way for others but it set the bar for “high water mark” clauses and outcomes in all workplace negotiations Thanks, comrades, for your efforts
On to another government-owned corporation, Cleanco, who since a very hostile bargaining period have fleshed out some grubby managers that have been less than congenial. Unfortunately for them, our members resolve cannot be broken and the hostile bargaining period showed the entire workforce what they can achieve by sticking together This attitude has resulted in a few managers “exiting” the business and a concerted effort from senior management remaining to work with the unions It is a work in progress, but I will proudly stand beside each and every Cleanco member every day of the week.
MSF South Johnstone Sugar Mill has just voted up an agreement, achieving an industry-first “Electrical Licence Allowance”, which is now routinely being offered in other negotiations, a suite of other conditions and allowance improvements and a 14% wage increase over 3 years, back paid. The small but solid electrical department members, once again led the charge in these negotiations and I have no doubt if all members were as staunch as them in every workplace we will be achieving great outcomes in to the future.
Cofco Tully Sugar Mill started negotiations about the same time as South Johnstone and were offered logs of claims to increase conditions and allowances as well Which have been in the main, batted back, with a regular “we are comfortable with the current provision” stance from Tully Sugar managers. They have purposely dragged out negotiations and members are fed up, with the attitude of the management bargaining team, led by a consultant. This Mill has offered in the past that in exchange for workers accepting low wages offers, they will be “caught up,” when sugar prices return to decent levels Historically one year the members even accepted a 0% increase and against the backdrop of recent record-high sugar prices, the collective membership of the Mill
are demanding that they “catch up” on what was promised and at least keep pace with cost-of-living pressures. The members believe they are in the vicinity of 11.63% behind inflation for the previous 3 years and find the Mills offer of 14 25% offensive for the next 3 years. Despite this being relayed to management, and despite rolling actions which will no doubt impact the start of the crush (which is due to start in the next week at the time of writing), management are putting their offer to a vote! The members have made it very clear the current offer is a long way off their mark, and I have no doubt that will be translated into a solid ‘No vote’ being returned and I stand in solidarity with those members to achieve a fairer outcome
We are heading into Cairns Regional Council EBA negotiations in the coming months so it will be interesting to see how the new council bargain, but it is fair to say this is one employer that has a lot of catching up to do with regards to wages and conditions, with members reporting that Council staff are leaving in droves and are not being replaced due to a lack of interest at the current rates. Buckle up comrades.
We are heading into a state election later this year and will be once again campaigning for a returned ALP government to not only shore up what we have managed to achieve, protect our assets from privatisation, but also to ensure that the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan is worked through and we see the planned massive jobs creation in the ‘just transition’ space delivered upon, which will set our trade up, for decades. The alternative is a stark return to archaic thinking and free market mechanisms which loosely translates to a race to the bottom for workers wages and conditions. I will be asking for assistance during the campaign and hope that you will find the time to do “what you can, when you can”, to ensure a decent future for our great state and region.
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND
MAY DAY 2024
ETU members and their families rolled out in force for May Day throughout Central Queensland again this year. I attended both the Rockhampton and Gladstone events. Rocky had a decent turnout and despite the weather, the ETU had the largest contingent of members present in Gladstone of all the unions who participated. Those who attended were proudly led by ETU member/state councilor/ETU Old School co-founder Tommy Campbell who travelled up from Brisbane with his bagpipes Dozens of people commented on what a treat it was to have Tommy here as it is over a decade since any pipers had participated in the May Day march in the region. Many of the children present had never experienced it before and loved Tommy’s efforts. Clark Stein’s young grandson, Jackson ,even provided back up with his little drum kit. On behalf of all the ETU members and public of Gladstone I would like to sincerely thank Tommy and his wife Maria for giving up their time and making the trip up to Central Queensland to make it an extra so, thanks to everyone who e out on both days.
EBAs
There are currently several EA negotiations underway in CQ. Gladstone Regional Council, Cutuli Electrical, Orica Yarwun, Gladstone Ports Corporation and CS Energy Callide Power Station.
After more than six months of negotiating, ETU members at Callide Power Station have had enough of stalling tactics and the CS Energy negotiating team hiding behind the state government’s wages policy. In solidarity with other unions onsite, ETU members have had to take steps to initiate protected industrial action. The ballot for protected industrial action closed on June 10 and by the time this journal is printed ETU members should be well into their campaign to bring CS
Energy’s negotiation team into actively bargaining around all of the outstanding claims that sit outside of the bargaining framework which their employer continually refuses to negotiate. Luckily for the ETU members involved, Scabby the Rat loves the Central Queensland weather and can’t wait to visit Bilo if needed!
Employment Opportunities
Work in Central Queensland has certainly picked up in recent times. The lack of quality electrical workers in the market has employers screaming for electrical workers With the current employment market and there has never been a better time in the region to join the ETU and fight to get better wages and conditions. For too long the balance of power has been in the employer’s favor, now is your chance to swing the pendulum back your way. Any ETU members seeking work in the region can contact me and I will provide details of employers that are looking for your services.
Delegate Foundation Training
Given the size of the Central Queensland area, training for our delegates has always been an issue. Some delegates need to spend a week of travel time just to get to and from Brisbane to attend training. To fly a trainer up here was also troublesome as we had to ensure minimum numbers of delegates who all needed the same course to ensure it was financially viable. The ETU leadership team has taken steps to rectify this by training ETU regional organisers to deliver the courses required by our delegates to best service our members in the workplace. I delivered the first ETU Delegate Foundation Training course to four delegates in Gladstone recently and will now continue to clear the backlog of delegates who require foundation training. Once I have completed those outstanding delegates, we will work through all the succeeding courses required by delegates in the region
CBUS
I have been contacted by a growing number of members about concerns around the declining service and support provided by their current superannuation provider. As electrical workers, most of us have been in one superannuation all our working lives- unfortunately, that fund has lost its roots and is no longer aligned to the values we were accustomed to
For any ETU members who would like to discuss their options, CBUS now has a physical presence in Central Queensland with CBUS Coordinator Mick Huddy sharing an office with me at 81A Hanson Road, Gladstone. Mick also spends a lot of time in Rockhampton and the surrounding areas servicing ETU members. If any ETU members would like to seek advice on their superannuation from Mick, give him a call on 0419555261
Upcoming events in CQ
The next Gladstone sub-branch will be held on11 October at 81 Hanson Road, Gladstone All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Keep an eye on your emails for details.
INTRODUCING JOEL COSTA
Joel Dylan Costa, 33, is the latest organiser to join the ranks of the ETU, Joel will have responsibility for apprentices and brings with him lived experience across a range of industries and occupations.
Born on the Sunshine Coast, but acknowledging he moved around a lot, Joel cut his union teeth in 2015 and has never looked back. Here’s a little about Joel’s journey thus far, from standing up on a surfboard to standing up for workers it’s all about determination and commitment and Joel has both in spades.
Born into a working-class family where being a tradie, was worn as a badge of honour, there was little doubt that Joel would follow suit.
“I was brought up around tradies, whether it was parents and grandparents who were painters and carpenters or my cousins Liam and Ash who are both electricians and ETU members with cousin Scott (Thurlow) performing the role of ETU delegate, as such I was always aware of the pride in being a tradesperson. At 15-16, I got my blue card and began a varied working career in construction first as a labourer and finally as an apprentice electrician in 2010. I joined the ETU in 2015 after completing my apprenticeship. Mark Bateman signed me up while I was working at BlueStar on the Jade apartments.”
With strong working-class roots, you would think unionism was a given but as Joel explains his activism was influenced more on the job and through the education from his cousin, on site delegates and an unexpected source.
“Yeah my fiancé Jen’s family hail from Canada many of them are staunch IBEW members working as signals electricians, I worked over there in 2015-16, and while I tried to join the union, they had a policy around who could and couldn’t be members based on where you worked. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about union
pride and strength during that time that has held me in good stead when I returned home, the IBEW influence was a very positive one for me.”
Joel’s father-in-law Tim, joined the IBEW at 17 (when he started working for CPR) retired at 55, 37.5 years working in the railway and a proud member of the IBEW. After10 years and again at 25 years he was presented with commemorative clocks from his employer CP Rail When he retired, he was given a watch from the IBEW for his service to the union.
What the Canadian experience also taught Joel was the importance of fighting for what we have in Australia
“It was an eye opener, when you look at what we enjoy compared to many workers in Canada some of whom were working 15 hour days without proper compensation, I came back to Australia determined to do my bit to honour the members of the past who fought for and won the conditions we enjoy, to preserve what we have and make improvements for those who come after us.”
Journey to becoming an electrician
As indicated above Joel has worked in and around construction since his mid teens back in the mid 2000’s, before making the shift to becoming an electrical apprentice in 2010 and a fully qualified electrician in 2015. After his short stint in Canada, Joel returned to Australia and between 2017 and 2019, like many electricians worked FIFO on mining and renewables constructions sites across WA, NSW and Central Queensland before relocating to Grafton in Northern NSW where he worked on the Grafton Correction facility with STRYK and Fredon, where his ETU activism really took off.
Union Journey
After joining in 2015 and working interstate and internationally, Joel was becoming aware of the importance of standing up and having a voice
“I was always raising safety issues and after a while the work crew at Grafton saw something in me and asked me to step up into a delegate role, which I did, from there it was a big learning curve but a really rewarding one. It is powerful when you are asked to stand up and speak out for others, it is a very altruistic thing to do, and I have become a better person for doing it.”
“Some of the biggest influences on my career and union journey have been family, organisers and fellow delegates as well as lived experiences and an interest in workers' history.”
"After becoming a union member in 2015, I took the initiative to research the significance of union membership. I delved into the history of the working class, the challenges they faced, the impact of the industrial revolution, and the pivotal role of unions in eradicating child labour, improving living conditions, and advocating for the rights of the working class."
"On a personal note, my cousin Scott has been a significant mentor to me, as well as organisers Mark Bateman and Beau Malone, delegates Aaron “Frosty” Self and Tommy Campbell Attending the Youth Crew and Sub Branch meetings has been extremely beneficial, providing valuable information and fostering solidarity."
Best and worst workplaces
As many long-standing members, like Joel, can confirm, work environments can range from very positive to extremely negative.
“It’s chalk and cheese, I remember working in construction back in the mid-late 2010s for non-EBA small companies where there was no union presence, no respect, no voice and little to no regard for safety They were all about cutting corners to maximise profits, they were dangerous.”
“In contrast, the last job I was on was the Queens Wharf project, it is hands down the best project I have worked on, we had great delegate and HSR structures and committees, it was a project that put safety first and brought people together. The project has everything, it is safe, has industry leading pay and conditions, mutual respect and workers voices are heard ”
“There is no better sight than the mass of ETU members participating in ETU Union Shirt Friday’s, they epitomise the values of our great union, it doesn’t matter who you work for, it’s where you belong that matters and that’s in your union, the ETU.”
Transition from delegate to organiser similarities and differences For Joel the transition so far has been what he expected, and he is committed to learning everything he can to enable him to represent the union and its members nose and into the future.
"I anticipated there would be differences between the responsibilities of a delegate and those of an organiser. To sum it up, I believe the main difference lies in the relationships. As a delegate, the focus is more personal, involving interactions with members based on a specific agreement within a particular industry or project. Although exposure to other areas occurs through conferences, sub-branches, and training, the interaction remains predominantly localised. In my brief time as an organiser, I have observed a more widespread collective perspective, across broad diverse companies, sectors, and agreements. The role of an organiser has exposed me to issues such as Not4Sale that impacts on our members in ESI and generation. While both roles emphasise respecting and developing the collective, taking pride in your union, and safeguarding our industries, the organiser's role emphasises a more union-wide outlook."
Ande Joel is up for the challenge
“I want to keep learning and become more active in our union!”
Biggest successes and memorable campaigns
“I was proud to be involved in the 2023 State Contracting Agreement which achieved a 7% pay increase and acceptance of most of our Log of Claims items.”
While the referendum on First Nations recognition and the Voice was not successful, Joel still reckons it was a great campaign to be involved in.
Canada recognises its First Nations people as do many other countries, and we should too, if you don’t fight, you lose ”
“I was proud to stand with comrades like Thor Anderson irrespective of race or background. It was a no-brainer for me, First Nations people deserve recognition, respect and a Voice.
Proud to be ETU
When asked what drives him to get up in the morning and what being ETU means to him, Joel takes a moment then his stream of consciousness kicks in “Altruism, helping others, there is nothing better than standing up for something bigger than yourself, standing up and speaking out on behalf of others. I want to make a mark on our industry, I want to work hard to preserve, protect and improve, I have a burning desire to improve the future for the next generation.”
“I am proud of our union history; I remember watching Friends and Enemies about the SEQEB dispute and reading High Voltage the ETU 100 year book. That proud history drives me to work hard and be active and to encourage activism in others.”
Outside of work
Outside of work Joel likes nothing better than spending time with his fiancé Jen and their dogs “wolfpack” he also enjoys international travel and experiencing what life has to offer.
“Jen and the ‘Wolf Pack’ are my proudest personal moments For Jen and me, we work hard to save up for holidays where we can experience the richness of life.”
Their travels have taken them to South, Central and North America, Asia and other destinations where Joel indulges when he can in his other passions for camping, surfing, snowboarding and adrenaline sports.
“We tend to go to surfing and snow destination where we can.” In 10 years time?
“Head down working hard, be in it for the long haul and use my skills to encourage activism.”
Welcome aboard comrade.
Joel will be working out of the Brisbane office, organising the apprentice sector.
Contact details 0427 601 994
Joel@etu.org.au
MEET DARREN MILEY
From the inclement, ancient beauty of the Emerald Isle to the shimmering sands and high rises of the Gold Coast, Darren Miley is making his mark.
During the Gold Coast International Workers' Memorial Day Commemorations in late April, I had a chance to speak with Darren, one of our newest delegates. What stood out immediately was seeing the 34year-old with his wife Nadine, proudly wearing a QLD ETU shirt, and a young colleague from his workplace attending his first IWMD. It's clear that Darren values family, community, and solidarity above all else.
Working class roots
Darren grew up in the working-class suburbs of Dublin, where he recalls the strong sense of community and camaraderie
“As far as family involvement in unions, I don't think there is much history But the area I come from, we would be considered working class people, the sense of unity in the local community is phenomenal, people will go above and beyond to help each other out when it's needed.”
The unity and support within the local community left a lasting impact on Darren, shaping his values and commitments. As a father, a union delegate, and an individual, Darren strives to uphold these principles of solidarity and community.
“My union journey began when I was an apprentice in Ireland I joined the TEEU, and I can remember going on strike for two weeks as part of an important nationwide campaign to gain better conditions and stop the wage cuts many companies were trying to enforce back during the turmoil of 2009. In the end, we won a 3% pay increase which was unheard of at the time.”
"In my professional journey as an apprentice, I worked under John Mooney, a former military man who was strict but fair He imparted valuable lessons that I continue to apply daily Both he and my brother Keith have been the most influential figures in my career."
MAY DAY 2024
Family matters
With both parents still alive, though separated since he was two years old, Darren can remember some tough times growing up with his siblings Keith (43) and Patrick (29), but it was the loss of loved family members that hit the hardest
“My older sister Catriona passed away just two weeks after turning 18 in 2003 when I was 13 years old Catriona suffered from severe disabilities and had a difficult life for most of her time with us. But losing both grandmothers and our sister within a span of four months was a challenging period for our family I had to grow up quicker than I needed over those few months.”
“But life goes on, and it's crucial to stay strong for yourself and your loved ones.”
A powerful demonstration of this strength is evident when Darren shares his respect for his brother Keith. Darren credits his brother for equipping him with the necessary physical tools, while also instilling the mental determination required to excel both professionally as a tradesperson and personally.
“During the initial stages of my career, Keith played a pivotal role. When I started my apprenticeship, he took me into a tool shop in Dublin and told me to get anything I needed, so he paid for my first set of tools, a gesture that has stayed with me throughout the years. I’ve never forgotten that. It's the type of person he is, always looking out for his siblings. He has definitely been a role model for me since I was a child ”
Off to the land down under
In 2011, at the age of 21, Darren ventured to Australia for a year-long overseas trip. Upon returning to Dublin, Darren met his future wife in double-quick time.
“I got home on the Wednesday and met Nadine on Saturday, so, I got my timing right.”
Just five months later, Darren and Nadine made the move to Australia, and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Their bond was strong from the beginning and remains so to this day
“At our first Christmas together, I asked Nadine to come with me to Australia, and thankfully she agreed ” Nadine's commitment surprised many who expected her to not last more than a week, but 12 years later she is going strong. “Nadine is extremely close to her family, and many thought she would get homesick ”
The couple initially stayed in hostels around Sydney CBD, before being ‘called’ to ‘County Bondi’ drawn by its Irish connection With their family growing, they relocated to Rockdale in Sydney’s South after five years. Three years later, when their son James was 4 and getting ready to start school, they decided to move to the Gold Coast
Even though the Mileys have established a fulfilling life in Australia, forging meaningful connections with amazing people who have become like family to them, and while they both have second cousins close by, they miss their families back in Ireland.
“We've missed a lot of family milestone events over the past 12 years. So, family would be the biggest thing we miss about home! Although we are booked to go back for a visit in August, we've not been to Ireland in 7 years, so it will be the first time the two younger kids get to meet their extended family.”
Similar but different Darren reckons the Irish and Australian people are similar in their friendliness and helpfulness, however the landscapes and scenery are different. “I definitely encourage people to experience and explore Ireland's unique beauty.”
“Obviously the weather is a big difference, 300 days of sunshine here compared to 300 days of rain back home!”
I knew I wanted to be an electrician
“During my last 2 years of high school I worked in a pub at night on the weekends, I also got the opportunity to be a spare pair of hands roughing in some cables for my uncle who was also a sparky, after that I was hooked. I knew what I wanted to do.”
After leaving school, Darren was able to secure and complete an apprenticeship.
“I was lucky with my apprenticeship, I completed it all with the same company, Geoghegan Electrical, in Dublin, although we had work all over the country One of the highlights was on the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast for the Titanic museum.”
“After I completed my apprenticeship, I was let go, which is pretty standard in Ireland. But they called me back a few weeks later to see if I would be interested in going to Jersey, off the coast of France, for a few months I was already booked to go to Australia, so I jumped at the opportunity to build up some savings. We did work on an animal hospital. All surface work and all steel conduit, we couldn't use PVC because the birds would bite through the pipe! Luckily, I was quite experienced in steel conduit so it wasn't as daunting as it could have been. While I love being a sparky, I also love the challenge of solving problems and creating solutions ”
When opportunity knocks, open the door Darren’s transition from working as an electrician in Ireland to working in the trade in Australia is a familiar one to many who make the journey.
Darren started his first sponsored electrical job in Australia at a large family-owned electrical company in Sydney back in 2012.
“After working at the company for two years, they nominated me for permanent residency which was something that I am forever grateful for.”
After realising he had the opportunity to stay in Australia, Darren began the process of having his skills and licences recognised.
“The process involved obtaining an offshore technical skills record (OTSR), trade recognition, holding a provisional electrical license while also completing 12 months of E-profiling. This was followed by GAP TAFE training to ensure I was in line with Australian standards ”
“One of the most memorable projects I was involved in was the relocation of the Holdsworthy military barracks, where I contributed to the refurbishment of the military museum.”
After working for a few more companies around Sydney from 2017 to early 2020, Darren returned to where it all began and saw out his Sydney experience with the company he started with in 2012 until the family made the move to the Gold Coast in 2021
ETU Journey – education, rising through the ranks and the strength of solidarity
Darren’s ETU journey includes some vital elements, education, commitment and solidarity.
“I joined the ETU in 2017, in Sydney, to be honest I didn't know much about the ETU, the presence wasn't as big as it is here in Queensland. But I had started with a new company and the tradie I was working alongside was telling me about what the union had done for him in the past, so I looked up the ETU and signed up that day and have been a member ever since ”
Kicking goals
While Darren’s ETU journey is quite recent, he was elected site delegate for Tyrone Electrical on the Imperial Square project in Southport in February this year where the roll out of the new EBA gave him some opportunities to get wins on the board
and getting the winter jackets sorted for the workers on site, to name a few. But in fairness to the company, any issues I have brought to them, have been sorted pretty quickly ”
“I’m a fairly new delegate, so my wins are only starting. But just as I was elected, we rolled over to our new EBA There were some small teething problems, things like the apprentice tool allowance, new training courses
Testament to Darren’s support of the collective is the way in which he downplays his successes Not only has he developed a respectful working relationship with management he has also achieved two important successes in a relatively short time frame.
“At the IWMD rally we had a presentation on the ‘Green Hats for Aaron’ initiative which provides support and mentoring for apprentices on building sites ” See QR code on page 14
“I took the initiative to Tyrone, and they have agreed to adopt this fantastic safety initiative for our younger employees company wide They have also ordered stickers promoting the cause for all other employees to have on their hats too.”
“Also, we have 100% ETU membership here for Tyrone Electrical, at Imperial Square. Including many active members involved in sub branch meetings and the newly formed youth crew here on the Gold Coast ”
What does being ETU mean to you?
“It means having a voice Knowing that you can speak up if something is not right. That, we are all in this together, that workers have rights, and we are not afraid to stand up for what we believe in and for what we deserve Knowing that, the union will fight for members, whenever they might need it.”
“We have a WhatsApp group for delegates and activists on the Gold Coast People that have a lot more experience in this role than I do. But knowing that we can ask questions, raise concerns, and learn from each other's experiences is an invaluable tool ”
Fast Five... Favourite drink
People will expect Guinness, but Heineken
Favourite food
Irish Stew
What do you like to do on days off
I've got 3 kids, I don't have a say in these matters. It's their world, I just pay for it!
Favourite place to visit
Sunshine Coast – “We have some friends that relocated from Sydney to Dicky Beach near Caloundra who we go visit at every opportunity we can They have 2 kids that are the same age as James and Lucy, so they all get on great!”
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
I never really think that far ahead, to be honest. As long as we are all happy and healthy, I'll be happy with that
DARREN & KIDS
Darren, Nadine and their family are a great example of the many migrant families who over the years have made Australia home and in doing so they enrich us all with their cultures, experience and commitment to our great union. One Union…Many Stories.
MEET OPURA-LEE-EMILE (OP) MAMANU
When Opura landed in Adelaide back in 2011 as an 18-year-old Cook Islander looking for work he was armed with three powerful elements, a strong family, a strong culture, and a union ticket These three assets have seen him not only survive but thrive in Australia, while it hasn’t always been easy, it has been a journey worth the effort. I caught up with Opura at Ipswich May Day for a chat, here is some of his story hope you enjoy
31-year-old Opura Mamanu is the sort of person you warm to instantly, he is articulate, respectful and disarming, it would not be unfair to say he has Mana. This is evidenced by his thoughtful quote when we asked the proud ETU member about why he was attending May Day
“May Day is a day of celebration and to pay respect for comrades who have fought for and won the battles of the past, like the 8-hour day and campaigns for better wages, conditions and safety at work We need to continue their work.”
While Opura along with partner Kathleen and young son Boston-Lee are making a good life for themselves in the Springfield area on Brisbane’s outskirts, it’s a far cry from his homeland
Opura spent his formative years in the idyllic Cook Island paradise that is Rarotonga Pop 10,000, a place where life is simple, a place where family and culture are great teachers The youngest of four kids, Opura enjoyed the freedom.
“It is free, while there is not a lot to do, the sea and lagoons are safe, and you are surrounded by family and culture.”
Rarotonga is the largest island, however there are another 14 where just 5000 people in total live. Tourism is the biggest industry and while wages are low, people are happy with what they have
“It’s a great holiday destination, and the lifestyle is very relaxed. Australia is a lot faster, and has more opportunities and resources to go after what interests you But it teaches you what matters ”
Like so many people who leave home to make the journey to a foreign country, it’s never easy and the sacrifices are real for Opura it is no different. With most of his family still living in Rarotonga, he shares with us some of the things he misses the most
“I have a lot of close and extended family back home in the Cooks, my brother Manu and sister Maria and their families have moved back home We would really like to take Boston-Lee back there to meet everyone and connect with where we are from, I haven’t been back since 2018 so it is definitely on the to do list ”
Along with family, Opura misses the food and the cultural connections it brings
“Ah the food, it is amazing, I miss the underground ovens we call Umu, we did them first and the Māori followed us with Hangi haha It doesn’t matter how many in your family when you have a Cook Island feast you feed everyone around. In a typical Umu we cook pork, chops, Taro, rukau (Taro leaves) and any other meats and root vegies we have available along with Kinaki (salad) ”
“A lot of the food is seasonal as well so your limited to what you can have, although meats can be expensive if not available locally. But we also have the sea, so we don’t go hungry, everyone looks out for everyone else ”
“Feeding and connecting as people is a big part of our culture and it sits well with my union culture and values Just as we don’t like to see anyone falling behind or struggling at work, we don’t like to see people struggling in life either, having that human connection is really important ”
The story begins - rites of passage
Like most Cook Island kids over 16 years old, Opura finished his schooling in either NZ or Australia. He attended Kings High School in Dunedin and Mt Albert Grammer in Auckland staying with family while he was there
“Because of the small population in the Cook Islands the education system does go past year 11 but your limited to one school that gives you years 12 and 13 so anyone who can travel to NZ or Aussie to complete their schooling usually jump on that opportunity”
After leaving school at 18 he was off to join his brothers in Adelaide and begin his work and union story
Big projects and FIFO
“After working in Adelaide for a few months we took off to various projects where I worked as a steel fixer Yeh, I lived in Gladstone for a while before getting a gig at Ichthys where I lived in Darwin for a while as well, we also did a bit of FIFO work while basing ourselves on the Sunny Coast working on Barrow Island and the likes ”
“Around 2018 I made my way to Melbourne on the West Gate tunnel projects Working in the tunnels was a turning point for me, my brother Manu took on a plumbing apprenticeship and encouraged me to get out of steel fixing game as well ”
Family Strong, Union Strong Opura hails from a strong union family stretching the generations “I’ve never been out of a union as a steel fixer I was in the CFMEU and when I started my apprenticeship I joined the ETU. My dad is in the RTBU, my older brothers Emile (CFMEU) and Manu (Plumbers) are staunch union guys as well ”
The desire to make things better for working people doesn’t end after work, with Opura sharing a memory he is proud of
“A memory that stands out would be getting involved in the 2020 state election for my area at the time (Caloundra) Kathleen also helped on election day which was great We got the result which made it worth it, Liberals or LNP had that seat for 28 years, so it was time for change. The ALP candidate Jason Hunt won the seat ”
The next steps: electrical trade and the ETU After working a steel fixer for 8 years Opura made the switch so as to speak and he hasn’t looked back since
“At the tail end of the tunnel work in Melbourne my brother Manu completed his plumbing apprenticeship and he encouraged me to get out of steel fixing.
“Plumbing was definitely off the table and there aren’t any electricians in my family, so EFM it was. Moving conduits is a lot easier than throwing steel around decks as well ”
“I started my apprenticeship in the domestic sector (2019) on the Sunshine Coast for the first 2 years and finished it off in Commercial based in Brisbane with Phase Electrical in 2023 ”
After completing his apprenticeship, Opura reflected on the challenges and the importance of being around good tradespeople during the transition period.
“Apart from the obvious wage increase I think the biggest challenge during transition is your responsibilities on site. I was lucky enough to be around some great tradespeople during the back half of my apprenticeship at Phase Electrical leading into my Capstone Learning good practices and being confident as an apprentice on jobs goes a long way at the start of your trades career ”
Opura loves what he does an electrician and is excited about what the future holds for himself and others coming after
“You don’t stop learning in this industry it has so many fields to pursue and for the next 10 years at least, there are going to be great opportunities available for apprentices and tradespeople alike ” Giving Back
Sitting comfortably with Opura’s journey to becoming a tradesperson he has also been doing some volunteer work with his youth worker cousin in and around Logan
“I get to share my journey with some of the young people she works with, who might be struggling to see a future, I let them know there are opportunities for them and that they can get into a trade It’s pretty rewarding talking about my journey and showing them what is possible, again it comes back to those family, cultural and union values of helping people when they need a hand ”
ETU Journey
I joined the ETU as soon as I started my apprenticeship in 2019. I’ve always been a part of a union. I was in the CFMEU throughout my time as a steel fixer and being in the domestic electrical sector it was a no brainer In 2023 after I finished my apprenticeship, when I took Kay and Boston down to Melbourne for eight months to be closer to family for a while, I joined the Victorian ETU and worked a few local jobs down there ”
Stepping Up
“Back in 2021 when I was still an apprentice, I attended the ETU apprentice conference and in 2022 I was voted onto the ETU state council representing apprentices, a role I continued until I finished my time in 2023 ”
While working as an apprentice and being educated about ETU history and values, Opura took on informal and formal roles in his workplace achieving some notable successes in challenging environments.
“Best wins for me are getting new members on board. It was particularly satisfying when I was able to sign workers up in both domestic and commercial settings I was able to educate and encourage apprentices to stand up and have a voice. Many of the young workers were scared or unsure, but by letting them know the union had their back and that they had a right to go to work and come home safely, that their safety was paramount, I was able to get a few on board. When I was in my last year at Phase I was known for sending reminder texts to non-members encouraging them to join ”
WhatdoesbeingETUmeantoyou?
“Being ETU is being a part of a brotherhood A family We have brothers and sisters from different countries, different religions and different cultures Yet we all stand together as one Members fought before us for the conditions we have today and it’s important we fight for better conditions for our members to come ”
“Having spent the last 2 months on a good EBA site The Lockyer Valley Correctional Centre with Fredon, you definitely see the value of unionism, great rates of pay, like minded people and good union structures Having said that I have never not been in the union, EBA site or no EBA site, it’s about promoting union values and looking out for each other.”
Some fun stuff...
Favourite drink?
Coconut water
Favourite food?
Cook Islands doughnuts
What do you like to do on days off?
Spending time with my family Getting out to enjoy what Queensland has to offer.
Favourite place to visit?
Sunshine Coast.
COOK ISLAND DOUGHNUTS
With comrades like Opura coming through the ranks, our union is in great hands!
Apprentices & training for the industry, by the industry
