Ipswich City Council disappointed in unions’ industrial action
13 December 2024
Residents in eight Ipswich suburbs are being warned they will not have their waste, recycling and organics bins collected on Friday if three unions who rejected an Ipswich City Council bargaining offer go ahead with expected protected industrial action.
Ipswich City Council Acting Chief Executive Officer Matt Smith said residents in Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Springfield Central, Camira, Gailes, Spring Mountain, Brookwater and White Rock should be aware it is highly likely their bins will not be collected on Friday.
“This protected industrial action being taken by union members within council’s resource recovery division now means residents in eight suburbs may not have their rubbish bins collected on Friday,” Mr Smith said.
“For residents whose bins are normally collected on Friday morning, we ask they put their bins on the kerb as normal.
“If their bins are not collected today, we ask they bring their bins back in at the end of the day.
“To try and ease the impact of the unions’ action on residents, both of council’s resource recovery centres at Riverview and Rosewood are anticipated to remain open and waste charges for residents in affected suburbs will be waived on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“While there may be some disruptions to our resource recovery centres, council will endeavour to provide this free service to affected residents.
"Residents will simply need to provide identification such as a drivers’ licence showing their proof of address within the affected suburbs to access free waste disposal up to 80kg to allow them to dispose of general waste from their red-lidded bins.
“This will allow residents to manage health and safety concerns related to their uncollected bins.
“Should industrial action continue into next week and extend into more suburbs, council will need to reassess this free service.
“Unfortunately it is not possible for council to make short-term citywide changes to our fixed bin collection calendar to collect the missed bins outside the usual schedule.
“Council is working to prioritise a limited collection service for medical facilities and residents with medical collections.
“We apologise to the community for the interruptions to service, and we understand how frustrating this situation is.”
Mr Smith said council had been negotiating in good faith for several months with the unions representing council’s operational divisions on a new three-year agreement covering resource recovery drivers and some field services employees.
“Council has been negotiating with the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy, Industrial Union (CFMEU), Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) and the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) for their members covered by the Local Government Employees and Resource Recovery agreements,” Mr Smith said.
“The unions’ initial position of a 15 per cent wage increase over three years and an increase in superannuation would have significant impacts on council’s budget, and they have refused to move from this position over months of negotiations.
“Council’s latest offer included a wage increase of 12.75 per cent over three years, well above CPI, as well as a transition to a 36.25 hour working week.
“This offer also includes the current 13.5 per cent superannuation for resource recovery drivers – above the superannuation paid to the majority of council officers and employees covered by other certified agreements at 12.5 per cent.
“This offer was rejected, and the three unions have now decided to commence protected industrial action instead that significantly impacts the community just before Christmas.
“Council respects the right of employees who are members of a union to take protected industrial action, but we urge these unions to recommence negotiations.
“Three other unions, representing council’s other employees covered by Council Officers and Civic Centre agreements, have accepted council’s offer in principle.
“We are now working to deliver a wage increase back paid to 1 October 2024 before Christmas as a show of good faith to these employees who have accepted our offer.
“Council recognises the ongoing impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on our employees and Ipswich residents, and we believe the offer made to the CFMEU, AWU and TWU was fair and reasonable, in keeping with what ratepayers would expect.”