The Services Union: Your pipeline to a better workplace at Urban Utilities

As your ally in the workplace at Scientific Analytical Services, The Services Union is always keen to give you the full picture. Context is crucial in an enterprise bargaining environment.

This morning’s “Urban Utilities SAS Employees Enterprise Agreement 2023 – Update” mentions that your bargaining representatives “understand that it is the best offer, but that there is not enough in it.” Even Urban Utilities gets it half-right sometimes; in this case it is abundantly clear that there is not enough in Urban Utilities’ current offer for anyone to take seriously. Our Union told Urban Utilities this last week.

The other half of Urban Utilities’ statement begs the question: whose best offer? We told Urban Utilities that we understood the offer was the best that Urban Utilities was willing to put on the table. For Urban Utilities to loosen its language to the point where it says that we “understand that it is the best offer” is shoddy reporting at best, and downright misleading at worst. In other words, reflective of Urban Utilities’ overall approach to bargaining.

Similarly light on context is Urban Utilities’ statement that your bargaining representatives acknowledged that Urban Utilities “had responded to the log of claims”. The missing detail is of course the fact that Urban Utilities had responded to most of your claims with a resounding “NO”!

Your Turn To Say No!

Last week’s EA meeting reinforced the fact that Urban Utilities has finished bargaining. Urban Utilities’ update of this morning confirms that voting on its proposed new EA will start on Monday 8 May. When that date rolls around, it will be your turn to say your own resounding “NO” to Urban Utilities and its undercooked offer.

Vote “YES” To Action

In the meantime, you will receive your ballot materials for Protected Industrial Action shortly. This is your chance to take positive steps towards the EA you deserve. We encourage you to maximise those steps by voting early and voting “YES” to every question.

Once again, congratulations to every member of our Union for getting us this far. If you work with anyone who is not yet a member, it’s never too late to join online.