TRC close to reaching EBA deal

Office workers vote for new offer

THE Toowoomba Regional Council is close to securing a new enterprise bargaining agreement with one section of its workforce.

More than 640 office staff voted overwhelmingly for the latest offer from the council, which includes an incremental pay increase of up 2.5 per cent per annum for the next four years.

Finance and business strategy general manager Arun Pratap said he was hoping to have the indoor workers’ EBA negotiations finished before the end of the financial year.

“It’s primarily a salary increase of 2.5 per cent and a range of other measures – productivity gains, some clarity in streamlining of clauses within the agreement to make it less bureaucratic,” he said after the council meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Pratap said other benefits included further promotion towards community ser-

vice delivery and the strengthening of workplace health and safety environments.

The council will need to get the agreement certified with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission before it comes into effect.

The 2.5 per cent increase is an improvement on the TRC’s previous offer of 2.2 per cent across four years.

Negotiations with the council’s outdoor staff remain ongoing.

The CFMEU’s Barry Higgins said it would hold its final meeting with council next week.