Watch: Frustrated council workers call for a fair go as wage negotiations continue

Council workers and unions representatives gathered in Buss Park on Friday and chanted for change: Here’s why they’re not happy and how council has responded.

A group of Bundaberg Regional Council employees gathered in Buss Park with union representatives to strike and voice their concerns on job security and wages.

Dozens of employees, who didn’t want their faces to be shown, raised their union flags and placards and ended on a loud note chanting for change.

The group had the support of some passers-by who tooted their car horns as they drove by the strike.

One of the main concerns workers had was the wage offering during Enterprise Bargaining Agreement negotiations of a 1.75 per cent or 1.5 per cent increase. 

They also campaigned for job security and more family-friendly working hours.

State organiser for the Electrical Trades Union Dan Bessell so far EBA negotiations with council “hadn’t gone well”.

Bundaberg Regional Council employees gathered in Buss Park on Friday in a strike action to voice frustrations over EBA negotiations.

“We thought it was time to get the members together and give them a bit of a report back on how those negotiations are going and seek direction on what they want us to do moving forward and what they want us to push for,” he said.

“The wage offer has been fairly low and considering the executive and the mayor have probably got wage increases far in excess of what they’re offering the workers, the frontline workers in this council, it’s pretty disappointing so far.”

However Mr Bessell said the strike wasn’t just about wages, they were also pushing for things such as job security and more family-friendly hours.

“The things we’re actually pushing for are about job security and getting rid of some of the casualisation in the workforce, the people who have been left lingering on labour hire, those people who have been on labour hire for years can’t go and apply for a house loan and they’ve got insecure jobs,” he said.

Bundaberg Regional Council employees gathered in Buss Park on Friday in a strike action to voice frustrations over EBA negotiations.

He said a good EBA offer could deal with the matters very quickly, but that things could drag on a lot longer.

“With the offer we have on the table it could last months,” he said.

“We’ve been offered 1.75 per cent in the first year and then 1.5 in the two years after that so it’s barely keeping up with the cost of living.

“The council does have good conditions of employment and that’s why people want to be here, they want to be part of the community, help the community and have the friendly terms of employment and make enough money to survive and live comfortably.

“The people who have been left on casual and labour hire they want a bit more job security and that’s what they’re pushing fore.”

Bundaberg Regional Council CEO Steve Johnston said negotiations between council and workers were ongoing and they hoped to come to an agreement in the next few weeks.

“These matters are part of ongoing discussions being negotiated through the Enterprise Bargaining process, noting that Council is yet to receive a formal counteroffer in relation to any proposed pay increases,” he said.

“We hope to finalise an outcome to these negotiations in coming weeks.”