Sydney garbage contracts ripping off workers, residents: RALLY TOMORROW
Thousands of waste workers across the state will be represented by union
delegates in a rally tomorrow against Sydney garbage contractors that
rip off workers and residents.
“We’ve seen it in City of Sydney and now we’re seeing it in
Warringah – councils changing garbage contracts, taking the lowest
bidder: with the local workforce sacked and offered their jobs back at
$200 per week less and residents’ garbage service being trashed,” said
TWU State Secretary Wayne Forno.
“There is a real danger that this practice will spread all over Sydney and New South Wales if we don’t stop it now - at a company, council and statewide level.”
United Resource Management (URM) took over both the City of Sydney and the Warringah contract this year.
Residents in City of Sydney kickstarted a community campaign against the ripoff of local waste workers, after the reportedly trashy service from URM bought their attention to the cause, with bins collected late, or not at all in Australia’s densest urban area.
Warringah residents have experienced unavoidable industrial action brought on by URM’s refusal to negotiate with the union; with reported delays in pickups of two days or more; garbage trucks causing oil spills in residential streets and reported ‘trashing’ of their recycling at the order of URM management.
Following the contract change, local workers who had worked in their jobs for years were sacked, offered their jobs back at $200 per week less by URM, who refuse to negotiate with the union for a collective agreement to improve workers’ conditions.
It is illegal under the Fair Work Act for a company to refuse to negotiate in good faith, and the Transport Workers Union is filing bargaining orders against URM with Fair Work Australia.
“URM believe they are above the law and blatantly refuse to negotiate with us,” said Mr Forno.
The Warringah community has rallied to the cause of local workers, as has the City of Sydney Community since March when URM took over the City contract.
The community campaign will be launched in Warringah tomorrow, with a rally at 10am outside Warringah Council in Dee Why on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
ENDS
Media contact: Tanie Sansey 9912 0703 / 0410 525 869
Media opportunity:
Rally to launch community campaign
Date: Friday 10 September
Time: 10am
Location: Warringah Council, 725 Pittwater Road Dee Why 2099, near the corner of Howard Avenue.