Noosa garbage men announce more strikes as negotiations fail
Noosa bins will be left full again this week after local garbos announced another planned strike.
Sunshine Coast
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Noosa bins will be left unemptied this Friday as industrial action heats up.
Garbage workers will return to striking for pay rises after pausing action for Cyclone Alfred.
Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) members at Cleanaway Noosa have filed for 24-hour protected industrial action.
On Friday, March 14, about 8000 bin collections in Sunshine Beach, Peregian Beach, Noosa Springs and the Hastings St commercial precinct will be stopped.
Workers will also refuse to do any overtime on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
TWU Queensland Director of Organising, Josh Millroy, said the industrial action could be called off today if they received a “reasonable” revised offer from Cleanaway.
This follows a strike last month, affecting services in the Tewantin and Noosaville area which TWU representatives say led to no improved wage offer from Cleanaway.
TWU’s strike announcement said they made the community-minded decision to not strike before Cyclone Alfred, but “are back in the fight for a fair wage increase”.
“TWU Members are ready to go out on strike again on Friday, as they continue to fight improved working conditions and pay increases to ease cost-of-living pressures,” said Mr Millroy.
“Today, I have written to Noosa Shire Mayor Frank Wilkie encouraging him to step in, support these workers, and put the pressure on Cleanaway to present a reasonable offer,” he said.
“There’s no doubt the residents of Noosa appreciate the service they receive from these TWU Members nearly every day of the year.”
Mr Millroy said Noosa Council was ultimately responsible for the delivery of this service and it was time for Cleanaway to show these workers “some respect”.
A group of about 50 Transport Workers’ Union members marched in Tewantin to the Noosa Council chambers on Tuesday, February 25.
TWU members have been calling for a seven per cent pay rise in the first year from contractor Cleanaway, which services the Noosa Shire.
Garbos demonstrated in Tewantin outside the Noosa Council offices, chanting “without garbos, Noosa Stinks” and “Cleanaway, time to pay”.
Mr Millroy quoted rent and mortgage increases, especially in the Noosa Shire Council area, as unfairly impacting essential workers.
The TWU said “wage increases at Cleanaway Noosa have not kept up with inflation over the last three years, with workers’ pay going backwards by more than three per cent in real terms.”
In response, a Cleanaway spokesman said, “as a result of ex-cyclone Alfred, Cleanaway halted many of its services to the Noosa shire to ensure the safety of our Noosa employees.”
“During that time Cleanaway made the decision to pay our Noosa employees despite being stood down on Thursday and Friday of last week in an effort to relieve any concerns in what was already a stressful event,” he said.
“It is disappointing that strike action is being taken after services were suspended last week due to ex-cyclone Alfred.”
Cleanaway said they would continue to negotiate in good faith.
“We encourage residents to leave their bins out on their regular collection day and if it’s not collected it will be in the following days.”
Noosa Council said at the last strike the matter was between Cleanaway and their workers.
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