Randwick Council Area Garbos On Strike

Garbos who pick up the bins in the Randwick Council area have voted to stop work on Monday 2 May 2022 for a 24-hour period.

The Garbos will rally outside Cleanaway from 5am Monday 2 May – at 8/10 Depot Rd, Peakhurst.

The issue is an ongoing dispute with waste company Cleanaway. TWU Members have spent a number of months meeting with the company to ensure that the rights, entitlements, and protections that they had with the previous waste contractor in the Randwick Council area are maintained.

Richard Olsen, State Secretary of the Transport Workers Union said, “Cleanaway has a long history of bullying and disrespect against their workers. Since Cleanaway took over the Randwick Council waste contract in March of 2021, they have refused to ensure the protection of the pay and conditions of workers they were entitled to under an agreement made with Randwick Council”.

Cleanaway is attempting to strip away the rights of Transport Workers. Their refusal to negotiate in good faith has led to this stop work action. Since last year, the company has remained silent on concerns that Garbos expressed about proposals that sends them backwards in pay and conditions.

As they have done in yards across NSW, Cleanaway has continued to maintain a hostile attitude towards Garbos and ignore what workers brought to the bargaining table. After a period of silence, Cleanaway produced its own version of an Enterprise Agreement, with no consultation to workers and pushed people to sign it.

Richard Olsen said, “These Garbos understand the importance of the service they provide to the Randwick Community, but Cleanaway are trashing the pay and conditions paid to them with no thought to the impact on worker’s families.”

This matter is completely in the hands of Cleanaway. They must accept the value of their experienced workers who drive this contract forward. Cleanaway are under scrutiny from the TWU. Rain, hail or shine, members are on the job and pushing to meet the conditions of Cleanaway’s local council contracts. The TWU knows Cleanaway’s history when it comes to bullying and harassing workers.

Media Inquiries – Colin Henderson 0405625208