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Over 100 workers represented by the Australian Workers’ Union and the Services Union are set to lose close to $500 over a lockout on the first two days of May.
“Nasty” and “mean” is how Michael Anderson, an organiser from the Australian Workers’ Union, described the Noosa council’s decision to remove union-aligned workers from the premises if they were to protect industrial action.
According to Noosa Today, Larry Sengstock, chief executive of the Noosa Council, relayed to staff that “any employee who is a member of the unions and takes protected industrial action from their first shift on Thursday will be asked to leave work and will not be paid during the period of the lockout”.
“It’s unfortunate it has come to this, but while we respect an employee’s right to participate in the notified action, equally as an employer, we are taking the necessary steps under the legislation,” said Sengstock.
With each worker earning roughly $60,000 a year, the two-day lockout could set back workers around $500 before the Labour Day weekend commences.
“A lockout is an extreme tactic used by an employer to intimidate their workforce into accepting a bad offer they do not want to accept,” said Anderson.
“It is about depriving workers who are already earning some of the lowest wages you could find at a council in South-East Queensland of two days of pay ahead of a long weekend.”
“It’s mean, it’s nasty, and it’s designed to punish workers who have found their voice and are asking for their fair share.”
The disputes have arisen over wages, with Anderson claiming that the council could end the disputes at any time.
“Noosa Council could end this dispute at any time and get services back online across our region by swallowing their pride and making their workforce a fair pay offer that keeps pace with the cost of living and the wages offered by neighbouring councils,” said Anderson.
“Our members live in this community, but with these wages, they won’t for much longer. The people who do the grunt work to keep Noosa thriving are drawing a line, they’ve been priced out, they’re making real-life decisions, and soon they will just leave.”
“Noosa Council has a vacancy rate of 20 per cent, that’s one in five positions, no-one can afford to live in this community on these wages.”
During a rally yesterday (1 May), workers chanted that the “CEO has got to go” and “executive team takes the cream” outside the council chambers, as reported by Noosa Today.
Anderson warned the council of this rally, claiming the turnouts “ain’t going to be pretty”.
Both the council and unions are set to resume discussions on the dispute next Wednesday, 7 May.
RELATED TERMS
Industrial relations is the management and evaluation of the interactions between employers, workers, and representative organisations like unions.
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
