Sydney Water workers strike

Date: 12 April 2000

Employees at Sydney Water, its subsidiary, Australian Water Technologies and the Sydney Catchment Authority have voted to strike for 24 hours to try and break the impasse over their Enterprise Agreement.

John Tierney, Assistant Secretary of the Australian Services Union, said employees are frustrated over management stalling on their enterprise agreement which expired in October 1998.

'These employees haven't had a pay increase for over 12 months. Sydney Water management have offered a 7% pay rise in a two year agreement. With the year since the expiry of the last agreement effectively it is a 7% increase over three years. This is half what other workers in the public sector have received,' he said.

Research shows that pay increases in the public sector are averaging 3.5-4% per year.

Workloads and productivity have also drastically increased with large redundancies at the Corporation. Late last year Sydney Water offered voluntary redundancy to its entire workforce. It was taken up by over 400 employees.

John Tierney said about 2000 Australian Services Union members met this morning at Sydney Town Hall to discuss the enterprise agreement.

'The overwhelming feeling at the meeting was the Sydney Water and Australian Water Technologies offer was far short of what was needed and what every employee deserved,' he said.

'Members have set a 12% wage increase in a two year agreement as the bottom line.'

'Sydney Water's employees have been incredibly patient. Finally they have decided industrial action is the only alternative left to them by management to break the impasse.'

Essential services will be maintained throughout the stoppage.

For more information contact:
John Tierney, Assistant Secretary, Australian Services Union, 0417 695 377
Noel Hester, Media Officer, 0417 023 745.

For further information

Contact:	Noel Hester
Union:	ASU Services
Phone:	0417 023745
Email:	noelo@asu.org.au
WWW:	http://asuservices.labor.net.au/

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