Ipswich garbos go back on strike after pay talks fail

Garbage collectors will leave a fresh batch of residents in 18,000 Southeast Queensland homes in the lurch tomorrow after pay talks fell through once again.

Striking Ipswich council workers last Friday. Picture: TWU

Garbage collectors, road workers and other Ipswich City Council employees will go back on strike tomorrow after pay talks failed, with another strike on December 20 also possible.

Members of the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) and Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) walked off the job on Friday, leaving 18,000 homes in Ipswich and Somerset council areas with uncollected rubbish.

They were forced to take their own general waste to Rosewood and Riverview waste transfer stations (dumps) instead.

The stopwork on Tuesday, December 17, would affect a similar number of households but in different suburbs.

They were: Ipswich city; Raceview; Flinders View; Silkstone; Yamanto; Churchill; Deebing Heights; Eastern Heights, Amberley; Swanbank; Ripley and South Ripley.

The Somerset council suburbs of Lowood, Tarampa, Brightview and Coominya would also be affected.

The strike was for one day only, at this stage.

But the TWU also gave notice for another strike on Friday, December 20, meaning those residents whose bins were not collected last week would have no collection until after Boxing Day.

The news came after a meeting with Ipswich City Council on Monday, December 16, in which it refused to budge on its wage offer to the two unions.

Striking Ipswich council workers last Friday. Picture: TWU

It was the first such strike in four years and involved both Ipswich City Council employees and garbos employed by the council-owned Ipswich Waste Services.

A TWU spokesman said council’s 12.75 per cent pay offer, over three years, did not keep up with inflation.

Their members also wanted higher superannuation, matching other council staff, as well as allowances for working with dangerous poisons and chemicals.

But Ipswich City Council Acting CEO Matt Smith said council had offered a generous package including wage increases of 12.75 per cent as well as a transition to a 36.25-hour week by July 1, 2026.

Council was also offering 13.5 per cent superannuation for garbos, above the 12.5 per cent enjoyed by other council workers.

Striking Ipswich council workers on Friday. Picture: TWU

“It’s disappointing that these three unions are continuing interruptions to residents’ bin collection services, after accepting an invitation from council to meet on Monday afternoon,” Mr Smith said.

“As of Monday afternoon the union have confirmed they will be taking action on Tuesday.

“It is not clear if this will be a full-day or part-day disruption.

“If it is a part-day disruption, council will endeavour to maintain coverage of waste collection services on Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday.

“Residents in the 11 suburbs are asked to leave their bins out overnight if they have not been collected.

“For residents affected by Friday’s missed bin collections during the unions’ protected industrial action, council has extended the free waste drop-off service at our two Resource Recovery Centres in Riverview and Rosewood until Thursday.

“If residents affected by the action tomorrow do not have their bins collected by Wednesday morning, they are also able to take part in this service.

“This will allow residents to dispose of waste ahead of Christmas week.’’