Setting the bargaining scene at Sunshine Coast Council

 
Members of The Services Union at Sunshine Coast Council know the importance of negotiations for your new Certified Agreement (CA). As your ally in the workplace, our Union understands that it is crucial to get the process right from the very start.

We began CA discussions with the Council last week and as the meeting was devoted to setting out the processes and protocols of bargaining, we made constructive use of the meeting to reinforce expectations, particularly around communication timelines. Following our feedback that minutes and reports from similar forums such as the Joint Consultative Committee have been missing in action over the past year, the Council undertook to improve this process. Management representatives committed to circulating bargaining minutes for committee review within two working days and publishing for all staff within five working days.

The Council tabled several presentations about its sustainability priorities and financial situation. We requested that further information about operating costs be provided in pie-chart format to allow analysis of the relationship between staff pay, project delivery and other operating costs. We will resume negotiations on Wednesday 22 February, when we will exchange logs of claims and commence bargaining in earnest. Our members already know the importance of a strong Union to keep the process on track. If you work with someone who is keen for productive negotiations but is not yet a member, remind them that joining is easy online.