Hanging in at Hinchinbrook!
On Tuesday 19 December and Wednesday 20 December 2023, we participated in a bargaining dispute, initiated by the Council, to discuss your wages claim for the replacement Certified Agreement at the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) via zoom.
In our opening address, we sought a comparable wage increase to the Stream B and C employees, who were recently able to secure a $3,500 ‘wages uplift’ and 5% in the first year, 4.5% for the second and 4.5% for the third.
While a number of outstanding items like junior pay rates; the span of hours for Gallery and Library employees and trade allowance for Supervisors were resolved, we are still apart on wages.
Our last offer to the Council was as follows:
- 9% from 1 October 2023;
- 4.5% from 1 October 2024; and
- 4.5% from 1 October 2025.
The Council claimed that they need the authority of the Mayor and that he needs to discuss it at a meeting with Councillors on
23 January 2024. Plainly, the CEO has no role to play notwithstanding her presence during the two-day bargaining dispute.
The QIRC has now relisted the conference for
24 January 2024.
Your workplace Delegates have done a great job representing your interests at the Commission over the last two days and were able to secure a reassurance that the Council will continue to pay the 5% administrative pay increase from this pay period and a commitment that whatever wages increase results will involve backpay from 1 October 2023.
Stay tuned. We are hanging in at Hinchinbrook to attempt to get you the wages deal that you deserve.
If you have any feedback about the wages offer or the negotiations, please send your feedback to
[email protected]
We will provide a further update to members after 24 January 2024.
Whilst many of our members head off for leave over the Christmas period, we want to wish them a safe and Merry Christmas. For those who aren't members, please forward them the link below and ask them to join the Union that is fighting for better wages and conditions for Stream A employees. It would be the best Christmas present you could give them:
https://www.theservicesunion.com.au/tsu/join