Union says strike going ahead because of moves to reduce pay, lift hours

Geelong council have given an update about its bin collections amid a garbage worker strike. See the latest.

Bins in Surf Coast and Greater Geelong council areas could go uncollected from Wednesday

Waste collections for City of Greater Geelong and Surf Coast homes will be completed as planned, but may be delayed, after a garbage worker strike.

COGG acting city infrastructure director David Greaves said this week the community was advised to put their bins out “as usual” on their scheduled pick-up day.

He said bins should be left out until they were emptied.

About 40 staff from waste management company Cleanaway walked off the job on Wednesday morning, with the strike to be held for 48 hours.

“Cleanaway have enough drivers working in our region today for all scheduled general waste bin and hard waste collections to be completed as planned,” Mr Greaves said.

“There will be delays to the pick-up of recycling bins with those missed today to be collected tomorrow.

“All green bins are expected to be collected on Friday and Saturday.

“Cleanaway have advised that all bins should be cleared and all hard waste bookings (from Thursday and Friday) completed by Saturday afternoon.”

A Surf Coast Shire spokeswoman said residents should put their kerbside bins out for

collection as usual and leave the bins out until a truck has emptied it.

Some collections may take place at the weekend.

TUESDAY UPDATE:

Residential bins due to be picked up on Wednesday and Thursday may go uncollected as garbage workers walk off the job.

The impact of the Cleanaway worker strike is likely to stretch across Greater Geelong, Surf Coast and Golden Plains council areas.

On Tuesday evening the Transport Workers’ Union said its members working for Cleanaway across the Geelong region would strike for 48 hours from Wednesday morning.

About 40 staff are expected to walk off the job.

Residents in Fyansford, Herne Hill, Newtown, Bell Park, Bell Post Hill, Belmont, Geelong West, Hamlyn Heights, Belmont and other suburbs are due to have bins collected during the planned strike.

A Geelong council spokesman said: “Please put your bins out on your usual day and leave them on the nature strip until our contractor arrives to empty them, including across Saturday and Sunday.”

⚠️ Possible disruption to kerbside bin collection this week

Please put the bins out on your usual day and leave them on the nature strip until our contractor returns to empty them, including Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, please visit 👉 https://t.co/tJS7gDcG7k pic.twitter.com/qGKkEQU5aa

— City of Greater Geelong (@GreaterGeelong) May 16, 2023

Homes in Anglesea, Bells Beach, Bellbrae, Jan Juc, sections of Torquay, Moriac, Mount Duneed and Gnarwarre may also be impacted.

A Cleanaway spokesman did not answer questions about what contingencies would be put in place to stop residential bins being left full.

TWU assistant state secretary for Victoria, Mem Suleyman, said the strike was a last resort but it was needed because Cleanaway was asking it’s staff to “work more for less pay”.

Mr Suleyman said workers needed to keep up with cost of living.

The Cleanaway spokesman said the company’s goal was to have a pay agreement best support its customer base.

“Cleanaway has offered a new wage increase being a minimum 5 per cent back pay, 4.5 per cent year one, 3.5 per cent year two and 3 per cent year three.

“Cleanaway services clients across a 7-day a week industry and its agreements reflect the needs of both workers and requirements to service clients.

“The company knows that some employees do not want the agreement to include the possibility that working hours could vary.

“This is their right and varying work hours would not happen without consultation.”

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Garbage workers responsible for collections in the Surf Coast, Golden Plains and Greater Geelong areas may strike for 48 hours this week, prompting emergency meetings to ensure bins are emptied.

About 40 workers could walk off the job from Wednesday as waste manager Cleanaway and the Transport Workers’ Union are deadlocked in enterprise bargaining.

Asked about a strike TWU assistant state secretary for Victoria, Mem Suleyman, said: “I think it will go ahead.”

Residents in Fyansford, Herne Hill, Newtown, Bell Park, Bell Post Hill, Geelong West, Hamlyn Heights and other suburbs are due to have bins collected during the planned strike, according to information on council’s website.

Homes in Anglesea, Bells Beach, Bellbrae, Jan Juc, sections of Torquay Moriac, Mount Duneed and Gnarwarre may also be impacted.

A Cleanaway spokesman did not directly respond when asked what contingencies would be put in place to stop residential bins being left full.

Cleanaway, responsible for residential and commercial waste collection in the region, has two depots in Moolap.

It is a contractor to Greater Geelong, Surf Coast and Golden Plains councils.

A City of Greater Geelong spokeswoman said council would meet with Cleanaway to discuss contingencies.

“Our contractor has a responsibility via a contract to put in place actions to ensure waste is collected in these circumstances. If necessary, we will meet daily until resolved,” the spokeswoman said.

Surf Coast Shire’s environment general manager, Chris Pike, said residential kerbside waste collection in the Surf Coast Shire would be affected if local Cleanaway drivers went on strike.

“Council is committed to ensuring that waste is collected and Cleanaway has a contractual

responsibility to deliver this service,” Mr Pike said.

“Council has met with Cleanaway to discuss contingency plans and we are working on

understanding these impacts and disseminating clear information for our community.

“We will be meeting with Cleanaway daily until this issue is resolved.
“Residents are encouraged to download SCRRApp - the Surf Coast Rubbish and Recycling App – to receive updates or to check our social media sites or our website.”

Mr Suleyman claimed Cleanaway had attempted to lift standard daily working hours of its employees from 7.6 hours to nine which would mean staff lose penalty rates.

“Essentially Cleanaway have declared a war on their workforce nationally. This is not just an issue in the Geelong area,” Mr Suleyman said.

“They are trying to put up people’s (standard) hours, they are stripping people’s overtime and they are trying to bring in a b-scale of workers which will essentially cut thousands of dollars from people’s take home pay.”

Mr Suleyman said the TWU would not accept EBA offers which meant workers had to work more for less pay.

A Cleanaway spokesman said its offer to staff was “very competitive”.

“A small number of individuals do not want to include a possibility that working hours could vary. This is their right and while varying work hours would not happen without consultation,” the spokesman said.

“Cleanaway services clients across a 7-day a week industry and its agreements reflect the diverse needs of both workers and requirements to service clients.

“Cleanaway is aiming to make work more flexible and meet the needs of the modern workforce and its customers.

“A large number of Cleanaway sites have decided to vote in favour of workplace conditions of just that kind.

The spokesman said the offer to its staff would make its workforce more nimble, staff in other locations had accepted their pay offer, and TWU members were a “a minority of its Victorian workforce.”

It is understood about 75 per cent of Cleanaway workers in Geelong are union members.

The TWU said Cleanaway was notified of the potential strike on May 11.

Originally published as Union says strike going ahead because of moves to reduce pay, lift hours