Union pursues better pay at Maranoa Regional Council

The Services Union met with Maranoa Regional Council last week for further Certified Agreement (CA) discussions. Given what members of our Union have been saying about the cost of living, we parked most of your claims and narrowed our focus to nine-day fortnight, 3% employer margin above the legislated superannuation contribution, maintaining all current conditions and of course the headline wage offer.

Having fulfilled our commitment from the previous meeting to do some research, we confirmed to the Council that it is the lowest-paying Category Three local authority in Queensland, and that its offer of 2.5% was well short of the mark. The Council’s representatives left the room for discussions, but after over an hour, the best they could do was to commit to consult with the Councillors before improving their undercooked offer. They will provide a response on the 24^th of November following the next Council meeting.

To the Council’s demand for productivity gains to achieve an improved offer, we argued that you and your fellow members have already delivered productivity improvements given the number of unfilled vacancies and the amount of extra work you are performing.

We will meet for further negotiations on Thursday 1 December. While we can’t predict the Council’s position on a better pay offer, we do know that a strong Union is the best way to encourage the outcome we want. Talk to your colleagues about what we’re doing at the bargaining table to get you the best possible deal, and if you work with someone who is not yet a member, remind them that joining is quick and easy online.