‘Scrooge’: Union anger as Ausgrid cancels Christmas party amid industrial action

Australia’s biggest energy distributor has told staff it won’t “gift” a traditional half-day off, nor host or pay for “end of year events” out of “respect” for customers hit by ongoing industrial action.

Electrical union members are in meltdown after Ausgrid declared it would be cancelling end-of-year Christmas parties and a traditional half-day off in response to the ongoing industrial action.

In an escalation of the protracted pay dispute with the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), the electricity distributer has accused union members of cancelling more than 500 jobs since the start of the wages dispute in August, which included ensuring power for new apartment owners to critical infrastructure.

In a staff memo – obtained by The Daily Telegraph – Ausgrid said the day had traditionally been granted to “help those who celebrate Christmas with some additional preparation time” as it often fell the day after.

Given Christmas Day fell within the office closure period, “and due to the business being behind on works programs”, Ausgrid said it was “unable to gift this additional half day this year”.

And out of “respect” to its customers, many of whom were being “severely” impacted by the industrial action, Ausgrid would also not be paying or hosting any end-of-year events, the memo said.

Electrical union members have accused Ausgrid of being a “scrooge” after the electricity distributer informed staff it would not be paying for or hosting and end-of-year festivities. Pictures: Supplied

“As many of you are seeing first-hand, industrial action is having a severe impact on many of our customers and service providers,” Ausgrid said.

“Our of respect for them, this year we will not be hosting or funding end of year events.

“As an organisation that takes great pride in delivering for our communities, it would not be appropriate to be celebrating when so many of our customers and ASPs are suffering.”

ETU NSW/ACT secretary Allen Hicks called Ausgrid a “scrooge". Picture: Supplied

Union NSW/ACT secretary Allen Hicks slammed the move by Ausgrid as a “petulant retaliation against its workforce”, an act he said would make “Ebenezer Scrooge himself proud”.

Noting how the distributer had made $313 million in the 2023-2024 financial year, “up from $296 million in the previous year”, Mr Hicks said the move to cancel half day leave and host or fund nay end of years events was “peak Grinch behaviour”.

Ausgrid workers were forced to take protected industrial action this year following the company’s refusal to provide workers with fair pay and conditions as part of enterprise agreement negotiations, he said.

‘PEAK GRINCH’

“These are the same workers who will be expected to drop everything and come in to work for emergencies on Christmas Day itself,” Mr Hicks said.

“Cancelling Christmas leave and parties because workers have asked for fair pay is peak Grinch behaviour.

“It’s clear this is nothing to do with cost or ‘respect for its customers’ as Ausgrid is trying to suggest – it’s a petulant retaliation against workers who have dared to request they be paid fairly for the work they do.”

The cancellation of Christmas festivities is in contrast to Sydney Water where every employee will receive a $30 contribution towards their team Christmas gathering.

Ausgrid Customer, Assets and Digital group executive Junayd Hollis said the union-cancelled jobs represented significant costs and distress for customers and communities.

“This has driven material delays to building activity across the state, meaning new apartments remain empty, and state critical infrastructure isn’t being delivered,” he said.

“The longer it goes on, the harder it will be on customers, and the longer it will take to recover and get the backlog back on track.”

Ausgrid said the last rejected offer would have seen many members receive up to 21 per cent increase over three years.