No end in sight for council stoppages

GOLD Coast City Council workers could continue to hold stop-work days until Christmas if pay and work conditions negotiations remain stalled.

Eight unions will today walk off the job once again after pay and work conditions negotiations with the council stalled.

Workers on strike will include cleaners, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, administration officers and those who work at Gold Coast Water.

The unions have held multiple stop-work days on and off over the past six weeks.

Mayor Tom Tate has declined to meet with the unions until he has been briefed by council CEO Dale Dickson.

Neither party appears any closer to reaching an agreement over the new enterprising bargaining agreement.

“I don’t see it being resolved before Christmas,” said Australian Workers’ Union organiser Jason Shepherd.

The unions have been pushing back against council who are arguing for changes to work conditions which would mean workers could be scheduled between 4am and 9pm.

Currently workers can only be scheduled between 6am and 6pm. The roster change was to produce workplace flexibility but the unions have described it as “family unfriendly”.

Other changes include a move from weekly to fortnightly pay and a guarantee that every full-time employee who left council would be replaced.