Garbage pay stink splits south-east council on third day of strikes

Three councillors have thrown their support behind calls for a resumption of pay talks with workers including garbage truck drivers west of Brisbane amid a third day of strike action set to leave some residents without bin collections for at least three weeks.

Hundreds of Ipswich City Council waste services and field staff have been pushing for 5 per cent annual wage increases in a new three-year deal to partially make up for real-wage losses through below-inflation rises in an agreement that expired in October.

Talks have soured with the administration, which has declined to shift from its offer of a 12.75 per cent increase over three years, or give concessions around increases in super, and warned the money to cover such a deal would have to come through service cuts or rate rises.

The impasse saw workers strike for 24 hours last Friday, then Tuesday this past week and again on Friday after claiming to have unsuccessfully sought meetings with Mayor Teresa Harding and acting chief executive Matt Smith since Monday – which the council disputes.

A Transport Workers’ Union spokersperson later clarified the five requests had been sent by an organiser via email to the council’s HR manager, copying in Smith and chief executive Sonia Cooper. Smith on Thursday sought intervention from the state industrial umpire.

In a further escalation on Friday, three of the council’s nine elected members have now rallied with workers outside the local government’s CBD headquarters, vowing to do what they could to help restart talks – and hinting at further support among remaining councillors.

“These workers don’t want to strike ... If [the] council come to the table with a revised offer, we’re more than happy to continue negotiations.”

Transport Workers Union Queensland organising director Josh Millroy

“We want to make sure that this … administration comes back to the table to openly, honestly and effectively negotiate with you,” councillor Andrew Antoniolli, a former mayor, told the crowd of striking workers and supporters.

“There’s not much that we can say because, obviously, we’re at the mercy of the legislation as to what we can say in relation to our administration.

“But what I want you to know is that we, we three – and we know that there are other councillors who [do] – respect you.”

Antoniolli was joined by Paul Tully and Jacob Madsen – two of the six elected councillors with disclosed Labor Party memberships. Harding is a member of the LNP. None sit in council as official party representatives.

Much of the council’s 1500-strong workforce has already struck pay deals, but the 65 garbage truck drivers (mostly Transport Workers Union members) and 250-300 field workers (mostly Australian Workers Union members) have not. The council puts the number of staff under the deals around 500.

Strike action affected bin day for the Springfield area to the city’s east last Friday, and from central Ipswich south and west to Amberley on Tuesday, leaving some 60,000 homes and businesses with uncollected general, garden and recycling bins.

Friday’s strike will mean Springfield area residents will not have had general waste collected since December 6 – or the week before under the fortnightly recycling and garden waste bin schedule.

The council has been attempting catch-up services and allowing residents to empty bins for free at its two major waste recovery sites, with some community members stepping in to help those unable to take their own.

Announcing the request for Queensland Industrial Relations Commission help to reach a deal late on Thursday, Smith said the council believed its pay offer, including a shift to a 36.25-hour week by July 2026, was fair for staff and ratepayers.

“Again, we apologise to residents,” he said. “No one wants their bin to be full in the lead-up to Christmas.”

In a statement late on Friday, Smith denied claims any meeting request had been turned down, saying the council met with union representatives on Monday and again on Friday. Councillors, including the mayor, are unable to take part in organisational matters between the council and staff.

“Council will continue to work towards a resolution with the unions involved,” he said.

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