Union secures work value at Rockhampton Regional Council

The Services Union knows that you and your fellow members at Rockhampton Regional Council often go above and beyond the strict requirements of your job to deliver the best for our community.

Our Union met with the Council for further Certified Agreement (CA) discussions. Central to these discussions was the value of your work and our firm belief that this deserves to be properly recognised.

A Positive Change in Classifications

The Council agreed to our request to set a new minimum entry point for Stream A workers at Level 1.6. This means that the skills and willingness of new employees will be properly recognised in future. This is an important step forward and sets an example for Councils across Queensland.

We also asked Council to consider the added value other Stream A workers bring after years of service. We have proposed that an additional increment be added to the pay scale at the top of each level, accessible after 3 years at the existing top increment. Council has undertaken to consider this.

What about Wages?

The Council is proposing a four-year agreement. A significant majority of our members has clearly told us that locking in for four years with no CPI safety net and only 2.25% annually is not acceptable.

All the available economic forecast material (e.g., Reserve Bank of Australia) suggests that inflation will continue to exceed 3% for the foreseeable future. No one knows for sure what the economy will be doing in four years’ time, but it makes sense to pay attention to the material currently available. We should therefore be cautious in relation to accepting such a long agreement without built-in safeguards to recognise the potential for significant cost of living increases.

We don’t think that you should experience a decrease in the value of your pay for your efforts. Our view is that you have earned your pay and there is no reason to squander its value in a needlessly long agreement.