TWU REMAINS DISAPPOINTED BY SUEZ STANCE IN THE ACT
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Garbage collectors in the Randwick LGA are taking 24-hour strike action over Cleanaway’s attempts to trash job security protections and refusal to agree to a fair dispute resolution process.
As part of ongoing negotiations with its workforce, the company is attempting to remove several key job security protections from the agreement, including minimum rates for labour hire, redundancy entitlements and conversion to permanent employment for labour hire and casuals.
Cleanaway is also resisting a push from the workers to include a process to resolve disputes with the company.
TWU NSW State Secretary Richard Olsen said Cleanaway is treating its own workforce with contempt by attacking their job security and refusing to adopt a fair dispute resolution process.
“Cleanaway were all too happy to do and say whatever they had to in order to win this multi-million-dollar contract from the Council, but now that they’ve won it, they have no interest in honouring their commitment to the workers” Mr Olsen said.
“These garbos are asking for the safety net of knowing they have a secure job, and that any dispute they might have with their employer will be decided fairly – I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
“Some of these workers have been serving the Randwick community for more than a decade, and now because of a contracting decision entirely out of control their conditions are under attack.”
“This whole situation underlines the urgent need for legislative reform to guarantee the wages and conditions of waste workers when Councils put their contracts up for tender.”
Cleanaway took over the contract for Randwick Council’s waste collection in March 2021, and under the terms of the tender the company was required to ensure all workers received the same wages and conditions they had under the previous contractor, Suez.
In the 2020-21 financial year, Cleanaway recorded $148 million in profits (up 31% from the previous year). The company’s new CEO was paid a $1.8 million sign-on fee last May, in addition to his $1.4 million salary.
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Media Contact: Mitch Wright – 0430 186 590