Southern Downs Regional Council workers are on strike today for the first time in decades after another poor wage offer.
The industrial action comes as a last resort, after months of bargaining has failed to yield a fair offer from the Council.
Council workers represented by the Australian Workers' Union, the Transport Workers' Union, The Services Union and the CFMEU will walk off the job this afternoon to rally outside Council buildings in Stanthorpe and Warwick.
AWU South Western District Secretary Joey Kaiser said that workers feel disrespected by the Council.
"Our members love this community. This is not a decision we take lightly – council workers in the Southern Downs have not taken protected industrial action in over 40 years - but something has got to give," Mr Kaiser said.
"Our members have watched their real wages be torn apart by rising grocery prices, interest rates and rental payments over the past three years."
"Council's current wage offer is simply not enough for our hardworking members to keep our heads above water in the current economy."
"To add insult to injury, Council's current offer would not see outdoor workers receive their first pay rise until next February."
An attempt by the Council to make it easier to extend workers' ordinary hours to Sunday and introduce insecure forms of employment into the agreement for outdoor workers has also fallen flat, prompting workers to take industrial action.
Working on Sundays is currently entirely voluntary at the Council.
Mr Kaiser said that while wages are an important part of why Council staff across the Southern Downs are standing up and fighting back, it's not all about the money.
"Council's current offer still proposes to introduce insecure employment into the agreement and changes arrangements for working on Sundays,"
"Southern Downs Regional Council is competing for labour with the resources and construction industries, as well as other Councils,"
"Our members have the skills and the ability to move to one of these other industries and earn a lot more money, but they would have a reduced work-life balance."
"Council can't have it both ways – they need to maintain the conditions that make working in local government attractive, like voluntary work on Sundays."
Unions are calling on Council to come back to the bargaining table and deliver a fair deal that their workers deserve.
Mr Kaiser said that the Council's workforce aren't asking for the world - they just want a fair pay rise delivered this year and an offer that doesn't reduce conditions at Southern Downs.
"As the following weeks and months play out, Council can end our industrial action at any time by coming to the table with a genuine offer that addresses the concerns held by staff," Mr Kaiser said.
"There is still time for Council to come to the table and make an offer that their staff deserve."
Strike Action Rallies Today
- Warwick Rally: Meeting at the entrance to admin building area (building is cnr of Fitzroy and Albion Streets, Warwick) - 1:30pm. (Warwick Location
