Qld Garbos Take Action

Date: 08 August 2001

Yesterday, Queensland garbos went on strike to highlight the threat posed to their jobs and rates of pay by the new Brisbane City Council waste management contract.

Normal garbage collection services were disrupted with up to 30,000 bins left uncollected.

Industrial action will continue until justice is done.

The Transport Worker's Union has called up on the Lord Mayor Jim Soorley to ensure companies tendering for the waste contract, tender on the current EBA rates.

If they tendered on the Award rate instead of the EBA rate, garbos would lose up to $230 per week in wages.

The TWU is also demanding guarantees that those workers who currently work for Cleanaway and Pacific Waste Management retain their jobs if a new company wins the contract.

The Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley continues to refuse to include the EBA rates in the tender document, preferring to 'cop out' by claiming that the Brisbane City Council don't employ the garbos, and therefore, it is not their problem".

The garbos are not asking for a pay rise, but are simply asking that their current rates of pay are maintained by ensuring companies who are tendering, tender on the EBA rates and not the award.

Only the Brisbane City Council can ensure this.

Brisbane's garbos do an excellent job for the residents of Brisbane:

Brisbane garbo's:

• have a 97% approval rating by residents
• have delivered between 400-500% increases in productivity
• work long hours, and work public holidays

The BCC and Jim Soorley have sold out the garbos and their families after years of excellent service to the public.

The general public should be concerned by the threat posed to this outstanding service by the current tender arrangements.

Futher developments

Yesterday, Pacific Waste Management, one of the companies involved served orders on the TWU seeking to ensure that the current strike does not continue and to call for an end to further industrial action in the future.

For media comment contact TWU Branch Secretary Hughie Williams on 0413 744 436.

You can support the Brisbane garbos by signing the petition at TWU Petition

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