CFMEU slams Fraser Coast council as wage rise negotiations stall

The powerful CFMEU has come out swinging at Fraser Coast council after negotiations on staff pay rises broke down this week.

Fraser Coast Regional Council blue collar staff will rally outside the council offices in Hervey Bay on Friday afternoon after negotiations between the council senior bureaucracy and seven unions representing the council workforce broke down earlier this week.

A statement from the CFMEA released earlier on Friday said workers employed by the council had taken protected industrial action after the council “refused to negotiate a fair Enterprise Bargaining Agreement”.

Council DEO Ken Diehm said the council respected the right of workers to take protected industrial action but that he was disappointed the unions had chosen that path as he believed the council had a fair offer on the table.

“What we’re hoping to achieve is that we can pay our workers a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work,” he said.

Earlier stories on wage negotiations between unions and the council

Fraser Coast Regional Council staff will rally outside the council offices in Hervey Bay on Friday afternoon after negotiations between the council senior bureaucracy and seven unions representing the council workforce broke down earlier this week.

“(We) anticipate over the next few weeks there may be more industrial action. I think there are a large number of council services that may be impacted but we’re doing our best to minimise the disruption to the community.

‘My message to thE staff, the community, is that we want to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, prepared to work with the unions and negotiate in good faith to get good outcome that work for the community, the council and our workers.

“I’m hoping that we’ll be able to resolve this quickly, but if we’re not we’ll be going to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to seek their help to negotiate an outcome.

Fraser Coast council chief executive Ken Diehm.

The CFMEU statement said council blue collar workers would rally outside the council’s Hervey Bay headquarters “to demand council return to the bargaining table with representatives from seven trade unions including the CFMEA”.

“Blue collar workers have had a gutful of being treated like second-class citizens by the Fraser Coast Council.

“The council’s unelected CEO Ken Diehm has the nerve to lecture us about ‘fairness; while he pulls in an annual salary more than five times what most locals are earning.

“This council seems to care more about bricks and mortar than it does about its people. It has $100 million in the bank for a shiny new administration building that nobody wants, but apparently nothing for its low-wage workers.

“During a cost of living crisis, the council is telling local workers they can expect rate rises at the same time as he is ordering them to tighten their belts.

“Ken reckons the Fraser Coast Council can’t afford a modest pay rise for workers who pick up the rubbish, keep the parks clean and maintain the roads, drains and council buildings.

The statement went onto to say that the Council should “give local workers a fair go”.

Originally published as CFMEU slams Fraser Coast council as wage rise negotiations stall