Garbos set for strike action

IPSWICH garbage collectors are set to strike over their dissatisfaction with pay and conditions offered by Ipswich City Council.

The garbos say they will start walking off the job in the middle of next month if they aren't offered a better deal from the council.

The Ipswich City Council enterprise bargaining agreement began last April and waste truck drivers withdrew from negotiations this week.

Craig Williams from the Transport Workers Union said the drivers decided to negotiate their own EBA.

"They are being offered a pay rise of about $1300 but they're going to lose about $900 through loss of entitlements and sick leave and overtime rights," Mr Williams said.

"That would give them a pay rise of about $400 which is about three per cent under the CPI. So if they don't play nice in the next couple of meetings guys are prepared to take industrial action and it will probably happen if nothing can get fixed up over the next couple of weeks.

"We'd probably kick off by having work-to-rule, maybe leave 1000 households a day out there.

"It could escalate into 24-hour strikes where trucks would be off the road and people wouldn't get their bins picked up. I hope it doesn't get that way but it could get that way."

An Ipswich Waste Services driver told the QT he and his colleagues were disillusioned about the negotiations.

"We haven't asked for anything. We just wanted to keep what we've got," he said.

"They're trying to pat us on the back and kick us up the bum at the same time."

Deputy Mayor Cr Victor Attwood, who is part of the council negotiating team, said it reached an in-principle agreement on two new EBAs which will be voted on early next month.

"The unions representing drivers in Ipswich Waste Services requested further meetings with council to continue negotiations and to negotiate a separate agreement," Cr Attwood said.

"Council has agreed to both requests and looks forward to negotiating in good faith a separate agreement to cover drivers engaged in waste collection by Ipswich Waste Services."