News

Water Staff Pull Plug on Pay Talks

Sydney Water are looking to fund budgetary problems - in part related to last year's contamination crisis - with a minimal pay rise for staff, a roll back of award entitlements and in all likelihood job cuts.

Management are commemorating the first anniversary of the contamination crisis with new attacks on the workers who stoically got them through last year's fiasco.

For the first time in five years the Australian Services Union walked out of enterprise agreement talks this week when management insisted on chopping award entitlements and offered a miserable 1.5 per cent wage increase.

ASU members are looking for a six per cent per annum increase in line with other claims in the public sector. The union has also been seeking a 'no forced redundancy' clause in the new agreement in line with government policy.

Management has flatly refused fuelling conjecture of even more job cuts in an already cut-to-the-bone workforce. They also refuse to consider an employee elected representative on the board.

ASU Secretary Alison Peters says Sydney Water management agreed enterprise agreements would not be an instrument for attacking award conditions when they were introduced five years ago.

'The new management seem to have a different view,' she said.

The talks have been carried out under the spectre of possible job cuts. In late May the Daily Telegraph reported that up to 1600 jobs could go to pay for financial liabilities resulting from the contamination.

Subsequently both Alex Walker, CEO, and Sandra McDiamid, General Manager, acknowledged there was 'some basis in fact' in this report.

Alison Peters says ASU members at Sydney Water are saying it's time to draw a line in the sand over the cuts.

'This isn't just about jobs. It's also about the integrity of the system that's been run into the ground over the last decade.'

'All management cares about is profits even though the crisis should have taught them they also have other priorities. But they still obviously don't give a damn about their employees, the system or the environment.'

In another attack Network Services - which maintains the water distribution network - announced budgetary 'reforms' which will see crews organised over the whole business rather than in geographical production areas.

A similar attempt by management earlier this year to force Illawarra employees to work over the whole Sydney area resulted in a two and a half day strike before Network Services backed down.

ASU members in the Illawarra argued such a direction would have forced them into an 11 hour work day.

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  Issue 23 contents

»	Water Staff Pull Plug on Pay Talks
»	Hotel Survey Warns of New Years Labour Crisis
»	Pfizer Jerks Workers Off
»	Shafted: Howard Squibs on Entitlements
»	Olympics Jobs Shortage Looms
»	Nurses Change Tack on Public Health Campaign
»	Actors Save Conditions from Reith Attack
»	Global Mariner Shines Spotlight on Howard Shipping Policy
»	New Currawong Deal Ends 25 Years of Trying
»	Hands off Workers Comp
»	Scully Off the Rails Over Contract Security
»	PiersWatch and The Chaser in Mega Merger Deal
»	Apology to Dr Bridget Griffen-Foley

»	Guest Report
»	Sport
»	Trades Hall
»	Piers Watch

»	Upcoming Chippo Politics Events
»	Bright Oakdale Idea
»	Calling All Linesmen
»	Dissent Within the Ranks!!
»	Reply to Don Macchiato

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