Powerlink at risk of falling behind

Negotiations for the new Powerlink EBA continued on 19 October 2023.

The parties agreed well in advance of the meeting that the discussions would be centred around claims put forward by our Union along with the ETU and Professionals Australia (‘the SBU’) focused on improving and introducing new allowances.

The discussions were not productive.

It was clear to the SBU that the Powerlink bargaining representatives had not meaningfully considered claims around improving and introducing new allowances (despite this being a set agenda item) and were not in a position to actually negotiate on these issues. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has occurred during these negotiations. Throughout these negotiations, progress has only been made when the business has been pushed by the SBU.

We know if your employment conditions do not improve in a meaningful way, the workload arising from the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will undoubtedly fall firmly on the shoulders of existing Powerlink workers like yourself, destabilising the work life balance of many workers.  

If left to its own devices, the employment conditions on offer at Powerlink would fall behind the rest of the energy industry.

Our Union has been negotiating and has negotiated a number of Agreements with other Government Owned Corporations in the energy industry. Given the pace of negotiations at Powerlink and the few concessions made so far, it is our view that Powerlink is at risk of falling behind the rest of the industry.

If you do not want Powerlink to fall behind the rest of the industry and want your conditions of employment to improve in meaningful way, then we need YOU, as one of our members at Powerlink, to be prepared to take industrial action when the current Enterprise Agreement expires in February 2024. To ensure effective action can be taken, we ask that you please contact our Union office to provide your up-to-date contact information on (07) 3844 5300.

Together, we can make Powerlink one of the best places to work in the country. If you know someone who is not currently a member of a union, share this email with them and encourage them to join our Union by clicking the following link, so they too can be part of bringing about meaningful change at Powerlink.

The Services Union is by your side during these negotiations.