Snowy Hydro 2.0 facing wave of 24-hour strikes
The country's biggest renewable energy project, the troubled Snowy Hydro 2.0 project, is facing another wave of strikes as more than 1000 workers prepare to stop work for 24 hours next week over pay.
The Australian Workers Union notified WeBuild of the strike to take place next Wednesday after workers felt angry that their demands were not being listened to following a 24-hour strike last Wednesday.
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ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
Noosa Council workers locked in pay stoush in expensive holiday destination
A dispute over a new pay agreement for workers who help keep one of Australia's most popular holiday destinations moving has been stretching on for months. Multiple bouts of strike action by Noosa Council workers since February have been responded to with lockouts, or threats of lockouts, from council management. At least half a dozen union-aligned workers have been locked out of work until Monday, June 9, the unions said. That industrial action has meant some services such as pothole repairs and bin collections have not been completed. Noosa Council said it was working hard to maintain a balance between workers' rights and service delivery for residents. The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission has also become involved, with a meeting scheduled for Friday morning which led to a new offer from council which will go to union members for consultation. Prior to the meeting, Noosa Council CEO Larry Sengstock said its offer was fair and reflected increases in cost-of-living. About 200 staff members at Noosa Council are represented by either The Services Union or the Australian Workers' Union. Both unions have said they were hoping for a pay rise of at least 15 per cent over three years. They said that would bring Noosa Council salaries more on par with other local councils, including nearby Gympie, where the cost-of-living was lower. Tom Rivers, from The Services Union, said it used to be accepted that salaries were lower in Noosa because it was traditionally seen as such a good place to live that it was worth it. But with the median house price in Noosa Heads exceeding $2 million or $1.3 million in the shire, according to CoreLogic data from 2024, Mr Rivers said that was no longer fair. "It was always casually thrown around in Noosa that you're working and living in paradise, you don't need to get paid as much," he said. An outdoor worker at Noosa Council on a band 4 would be earning about $61,000 a year. At nearby Gympie, the same role would attract $68,000. "Even at the top end of the [agreement], we're still not talking about that much money for living in such an expensive town," Mr Rivers said. Michael Anderson from the Australian Workers' Union said the council's figures showed 30 per cent of their workers could not afford to live in the shire. Many lived closer to inland towns such as Gympie where housing was more affordable. Earlier this year, Noosa Council offered a pay rise of 15 per cent over three years and four months. "A lot of our members are quite disgruntled by that extra four months," Mr Rivers said. With Noosa Council looking unlikely to move, Mr Rivers said that could mean the prospect of further industrial action. Last week, the unions took their call for higher wages to the public, doorknocking and talking to residents. Mr Rivers said that had garnered a largely positive response, with the public mostly sympathetic to the unions' calls. Mr Anderson agreed. He said that extended to people understanding that rates would need to increase. "They understand that workers need and require a livable wage," he said. On the other hand, Mr Anderson said it has been "extremely difficult" to deal with the council throughout the process. "Many of our members have experienced intimidation from … managers," he said. He said in his experience, although lockouts were a "normal tactic", Noosa Council's approach had so far been at the "extreme end" of an employer's response. Mr Rivers said the council's reaction had seemed "disproportionate" at times. He said he had also heard members were concerned about staff retention rates, as many came and went within a couple of months, increasing workload for others and having an impact on morale. Mr Sengstock denied the council has been trying to "intimidate" workers throughout the protracted industrial action by imposing and threatening lockouts. "Our normal services have been suffering, and the residents are now starting to recognise that and demand their services are taken up," he said. "It's a balancing act. I'm really trying to look after our staff, but also, you know, I've got to be conscious of delivering the services that our residents are paying for." In a statement, a spokesperson for Noosa Council said it was "committed" to reaching a solution, and would respond to unions' claims in meetings with the commission.
ABC News
23-05-2025
- ABC News
Union considering legal action over claims staff locked down during Snowy 2.0 strike
The Australian Workers Union is threatening legal action over the alleged treatment by Snowy 2.0 contractors of striking tunnel workers. More than 1,000 workers walked off the job on the multi-billion dollar pumped hydro energy project on Wednesday in a bid to push for pay similar to their employer WeBuild's workers on the North East Link Tunnels in Melbourne. The union's organiser Darren Cameron met with workers at Snowy Mountains Airport, outside Cooma, on Thursday where he alleged the union had been unable to meet with some members during the strike. "To add insult to injury, the project put out a directive that nobody could leave the project or enter the project," Mr Cameron said. WeBuild and Snowy Hydro have been contacted for comment. Mr Cameron said workers, like their emplyer, want the $12 billion project finished after it was plagued by tunnelling delays in recent years due to what Snowy Hydro called a challenging geological fault zone. Last year, the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure approved an application by Snowy Hydro to use a fourth tunnel boring machine which is set to begin excavating by the end of the year. Mr Cameron said further strike action will go ahead next week if the workers' demands are not met. "The same company is doing exactly the same kind of tunnelling work in Melbourne for 12 per cent more pay," he said. "The conditions on this project are arduous. "These people should be the highest paid tunnellers in Australia, not the lowest, which is the current situation. "We are aiming to change that." He said the pay issue will go before the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday and he hopes it will be resolved before further industrial action next week. The CFMEU's state organiser for the union's Construction and General Branch, Mark Cross, was also in Cooma on Thursday and said the unions have come together to make sure workers are being taken care of following the implosion of a ventilation fan in February. He said safety concerns were impacting the mental health of workers and their families. "The isolation factor of living in a remote camp means communications are not the greatest in terms of being able to reach out to their friends and families," he said. "It is impacting these guys." Electrical Trades Union organiser Jarred Pearce said he had hope the issue of pay parity would be dealt with by the employer. "We are trying to get the right outcome for both wages and safety."
AU Financial Review
22-05-2025
- AU Financial Review
Snowy Hydro 2.0 facing wave of 24-hour strikes
The country's biggest renewable energy project, the troubled Snowy Hydro 2.0 project, is facing another wave of strikes as more than 1000 workers prepare to stop work for 24 hours next week over pay. The Australian Workers Union notified WeBuild of the strike to take place next Wednesday after workers felt angry that their demands were not being listened to following a 24-hour strike last Wednesday.
