Brisbane City Council – Don't stop there

The Services Union welcomes the decision of the Brisbane City Council to increase wages immediately.

Discussions have been ongoing with the Council about the need for a pay increase now to immediately offset the increases in the cost of living and we have also been talking to the Council about emerging attraction and retention problems no doubt caused in part by low wages.

So, it seems that the Lord Mayor has been listening!

The decision does not conclusively resolve the issue of pay though, with inflation in Brisbane running at 7.3% and more likely to trend up than down in the September quarter which will be published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in a couple of weeks. There are also some other factors which members want addressed relating to productivity, work value and of course, the Lord Mayor’s pay freeze. 

You will have also noticed that the payment proposed by the Lord Mayor will be made two months later than the anniversary of your last pay increase which in reality represents yet another pay freeze.

As you know, the Lord Mayor appears to be fond of the grand announcement but is a bit light on in the details department. We are not complaining, as from your point of view there are no strings attached to the announcement so it will be paid from the date announced, 3 December. 

In the meantime, The Services Union is scheduled to meet with the Council today to continue informal discussions on the next agreement and of course now, to discuss issues connected with this proposal. 

Your Delegates will continue to partner with you to address local and collective issues in this agreement.

If you want to ensure that your wages continue to be a priority issue for the Council, tell your colleagues that this is how to do it. Click here to join The Services Union.