Staff return to work after weedkiller stand-off
More than 500 Blacktown Council staff have returned to work following a meeting in the Industrial Relations Commission over the council’s use of a controversial weedkiller.
Blacktown Council staff have returned to work this afternoon after the council and the United Services United came to an agreement to begin a trial of organic weedkillers.
The move comes after an urgent hearing with the Industrial Relations Commission after more than 500 council staff walked off the job on Wednesday over the use of the weedkiller Roundup.
The walk-off was in response to management allegedly refusing to heed staff concerns over the use of the glyphosate-based weed killer, which has been linked to cancer.
Staff urged management to follow the lead of other councils, which have banned the product and begun trialling safer alternatives, the United Services Union said.
The union, which represents council workers, said the dispute “escalated” on Wednesday after management ordered six staff to either use the product or face being forced into alternate jobs.
“Outdoor staff responded by halting work and returning to their depots, leaving more than 10,000 bins uncollected,” a statement from the union said.
This afternoon, council staff returned after the council and USU came to an agreement to begin a trial of organic weedkillers.
Trucks began rolling out of the Rooty Hill Works Depot at about 1pm after the council called an urgent hearing in the Industrial Relations Commision this morning.
USU metropolitan manager Steve Donley told media that “common sense had prevailed”.
“The council has now agreed to what we proposed to them yesterday afternoon. They’re willing to form a committee, look at using organic products and do back-to-back testing over the next five months,” Mr Donley said.
“(Staff) are over the moon. They feel now they’re starting to work in a safe environment,” he said.
“We’re glad council is starting to address the problem.”
USU secretary Graeme Kelly said organisations were abandoning the use of glyphosate around the world because of growing evidence that it is responsible for causing cancer.
Bayer, which bought Roundup maker Monsanto for $63 billion last year, says Roundup’s active ingredient glyphosate is safe for human use and not carcinogenic.
The company is facing lawsuits by more than 13,400 plaintiffs in the US and globally and a series of Roundup jury verdicts against Bayer have prompted its share price to plummet.
Among the Australian plaintiffs is Victorian gardener Michael Ogalirolo, 54, who regularly used the herbicide between 1997 and 2018 and who has developed non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Mr Ogalirolo filed a writ in the Victorian Supreme Court in June alleging Monsanto Australia Pty Ltd failed to warn its Roundup Products are dangerous to human health, including that it could cause cancer.
On Wednesday morning a council spokesman said the council would “continue to review its method of weed control” but stood by the ruling of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) which deems glyphosate to be safe.
“Council has consulted with staff and unions on the use of glyphosate extensively,” the spokesman said.
“The APVMA states that: glyphosate is safe for humans, animals and the environment when used according to label directions. No regulatory agency in the world considers glyphosate to be a carcinogen
“The APVMA does not expect any significant changes to the registration of glyphosate in Australia.”
Residents affected by bins not being uncollected are being advised to leave them on the kerb until collection occurs.
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