It's time to get serious about pay at Southern Downs Regional Council

With inflation in Australia currently the highest it has been since the 1990s, Southern Downs Regional Council needs to provide a pay increase that reduces your cost-of-living pressures, and The Services Union is by your side to ensure this happens.

Our Union met with the Council on 16 September for further Certified Agreement (CA) discussions, where we tabled our members revised wages position of a 3-year deal at 5.5% per annum. In response to our proposal, Council responded with another abysmal offer:

•             Year 1 – 2.25%

•             Year 2,3 & 4 – 2.35%

•             Removal of the special family leave provision

•             Council still wants to extend the span of hours to include Sundays for some sections of the workforce.

IT'S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT PAY

From the conversations we’ve already had with members, we understand you are frustrated with the Council’s insufficient wage offers. On that basis, members are hereby notified that The Services Union will conduct a ballot of all members at Southern Downs Regional Council to determine support for Protected Industrial Action in pursuit of a better salary outcome. This has come about because of the Council’s unwillingness to table a fair pay offer against the current economic landscape.

Members will be able to vote electronically, and we encourage you to do so. The electronic ballot will open at 9:00am on Monday 26 September 2022 and will remain open until 5:00pm on Thursday 29 September 2022.

We will send you a link to access the electronic ballot prior to the opening time noted above.

Please be advised that only members of The Services Union will be able to vote, and only members of The Services Union will be able to participate in any resulting protected industrial action. If you work with someone who is not yet a member but wants to vote or participate in support of a better deal, remind them that joining is easy here.