Unions left out of wage negotiation

GOLD Coast City Council has cut unions out of pay negotiations and will take the vote on a 2.9 per cent pay rise straight to staff.

Union heavies yesterday compared the action to the State Government’s fiery wage talks with the public sector and said workers feared similar jobs cuts were on the way.

They said if accepted it would be the lowest pay rise of any council in southeast Queensland this year.

A council spokeswoman said the increase was fair in the present economic climate.

Council this afternoon will offer workers the pay rise of 2.9 per cent or $29 a week in the first year of the agreement, depending on which figure is higher for the individual worker. For the next two years council staff would receive a 3 per cent, or $30 a week, wage increase.

Staff will have two weeks to cast their vote.

Unions, including the Services Union, CFMEU and other trade groups, will urge members during a special meeting at Carrara this morning to vote against the offer.

The council and unions have met 12 times in the past three months.

Despite admitting it could not agree with unions on the pay rise, a council spokeswoman denied negotiations had stopped.

Services Union secretary Kath Nelson said staff were unhappy that the council had walked away from talks. ‘‘This wage increase will see council’s wage rates as the lowest in southeast Queensland, a damning fact given the council will need to attract and retain highly skilled staff in the years leading up to the Commonwealth Games,’’ she said.

The union wanted a 3.5 per cent a year rise to keep in line with Logan, Ipswich, Scenic Rim and Sunshine Coast councils, which agreed to pay deals of between 3.5 and 3.8 per cent.