Industrial Action by Council Workers in Melbourne
Council workers in several Melbourne local government areas have initiated industrial action, halting the collection of rubbish and the issuance of parking tickets. This move is part of a broader effort by the Australian Services Union (ASU) to address wage concerns. The action impacts waste collection in Merri-bek, Darebin, and Hume, as well as parking enforcement in Yarra, Maribyrnong, and Melbourne.
More than 70 workers have walked off the job for 24 hours, with the ASU indicating that further actions could extend to general council operations and libraries. The union is seeking an initial 10 per cent pay rise for workers in the first year, followed by annual increases of 4 per cent. According to Tash Wark, the branch secretary of ASU Victoria and Tasmania, workers have experienced a loss of 7 to 12 per cent in real terms since 2021.
“The councils involved in this have fought tooth and nail to try and stop our members from bargaining together across the group of councils,” she said. “So really what we’re doing now is playing a lot of catch up.”
Government Response and Rate Rise Cap
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll defended the rate rise cap, stating it had been in place for ten years and was not the reason workers had not received the wage rises they sought. “It has been proven to support Victorians with cost of living and to ensure they have more money in their own pockets,” he said. Carroll added that he believed the councils were continuing to negotiate in good faith with the ASU and encouraged them to remain at the table.
However, the ASU highlighted that Victorian councils are subject to a 2.75 per cent rate rise cap imposed by the state’s Essential Services Commission. Ms. Wark argued that this was a problem for councils to solve. “They’ve been driving down wages and cutting services and outsourcing and a whole bunch of other things instead of going and dealing with that policy issue,” she said.
Impact on Communities
On Tuesday morning, wheelie bins were left uncollected in several council areas, with the union reporting that 17,000 bins in the Hume area alone would be left untouched. The ASU confirmed that a small number of non-union members would still be working to empty bins in Hume and Darebin. It also stated that about 7,000 household bins in Darebin as well as Merri-bek would be left unemptied due to the strike.
A worker for Hume’s litter and dumped rubbish team, Brendan, described his job as not glamorous but rewarding. “It’s pretty yucky sort of stuff. It’s not nice picking up deceased animals but I actually love my job,” he said. However, he admitted it was increasingly difficult to make ends meet. “Every year you just get poorer and poorer. When I started five years ago I used to be able to save money but now I can’t even afford to live.”
Calls for Fair Pay and Support
Brendan emphasized the importance of the work he and his colleagues do. “We’re out there every day at the front of your houses picking up your rubbish. Without us nothing would be cleaned up around the area. Enough’s enough, we need to stand up and get our fair share.”
A joint statement from the Darebin, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Merri-bek, and Yarra councils acknowledged the right of workers to strike but expressed regret over the impact on communities. “We ask our communities for their patience and we will continue to negotiate in good faith with all unions representing our staff,” the statement read.
