Coast garbos stop work meeting

Central Coast garbos will hold a stop work meeting at 11am on Monday with some bin collections likely to be disrupted.

Central Coast garbos will hold a stop work meeting on Monday morning.

Central Coast garbos will hold a stop work meeting at 11am on Monday with some bin collections likely to be affected.

The garbos are employees of Remondis Australia, the company contracted by Central Coast Council to collect rubbish from households across the Coast on bin night and members of the Transport Workers’ Union of NSW.

The stop work meeting will impact some morning bin collections.

Although it has been timed to provide minimal impact on the residents, bin collections on Monday may be later than usual.

The TWU has the purpose of the meeting is for drivers to consider the latest Enterprise Agreement offer by Remondis, which could mean a $300 pay cut for doing the same job they currently do.

But Remondis says the action comes while negotiations on the Enterprise Agreement are ongoing.

“This is a matter that is in the hands of Remondis,” TWU secretary Richard Olsen said.

“They can be certain that their attempt to devalue their experienced drivers is unacceptable to our members.

“Central Coast Council can very easily fix the problem when it comes to its new waste contract tender, scheduled to be released this month.

“Remondis drivers and the TWU have asked council administrator Ian Reynolds and general manager Rob Noble for assurances that a protection clause will be in the tender.

“This means that current pay rates and entitlements like long service leave will be protected when a new contract starts.

“Drivers are not seeking a pay rise, they want what they currently have for the job that they do, now and into the future.

“We know that the council can help local families afford to stay in local work.

“Council has the power to protect drivers and their families from what will be a major dent in

family budgets. In some families, that could mean the difference between maintaining their mortgage payments or not.

“Other councils like Campbelltown have placed protection clauses into tenders. What is stopping the same happening on the Central Coast?”

What Remondis says

But Remondis has expressed disappointment that the union has chosen to again provide a notice of intended industrial action likely to affect waste and recycling services on the Central Coast.

“The TWU has this week given notice of industrial action that may occur on Monday and

Wednesday next week,” Remondis Central Coast Regional Manager Ritchie Venn said.

“This has happened as Remondis, its employees and the TWU continue to negotiate a new

Enterprise Agreement.

“Prior to this week the TWU has not been present at several negotiation meetings between

Remondis and its drivers where further industrial action has been avoided.

“Remondis was provided a commitment by the TWU that their representatives would be available for all future negotiations meetings, however cancelled a key meeting yesterday before initiating more industrial action.

“The action will cause some disruptions to local kerbside garbage collection services.

“Residents are asked to leave their bins out as they will be collected once drivers return to work.

“Remondis has made arrangements for a number of urgent meetings with its employees and the TWU and will again seek the assistance of the Fair Work Commission to help resolve the dispute and stop any future industrial action.”

The spokesman said Remondis was performing local garbage collection functions under a 10-year contract with the council.

“That contract, with fixed terms and conditions, expires on January 31, 2018,” he said.

“Council has not issued a tender for local waste management beyond the existing contract or

commenced discussions for any potential extensions of the current contract.

“As a business we continue to honour our existing contract with Council.”

Remondis has asked the TWU to withdraw its intended industrial action, which is “counterproductive and disruptive for local residents”.