Sam Rae (Hawke, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Workers at Melton City Council will tomorrow stop work as part of protected industrial action. Like most communities, Melton had an enormously challenging few years with COVID-19, through which council staff worked exceptionally hard to support our community. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty and hardship, our community knew that council staff would provide the foundation of support and encouragement they so desperately needed. Providing this support despite the high turnover of staff and the workforce impacts of COVID-19 has caused enormous personal and professional stress for council staff over the past couple of years.

During the same period, the City of Melton has run a surplus of almost $300 million per financial year, approximately 60 per cent of their operating income. Despite the obvious financial capacity, Melton City Council has refused to recognise the contribution of its workers with fair pay and conditions and bring wages into line with similar and surrounding councils.

The Australian Services Union is organising workers to stop work tomorrow as they return to the bargaining table. The ASU is calling on Melton City Council to put forward an enterprise agreement that ensures they can attract and keep staff so that our community can continue to be served by this extraordinarily dedicated workforce.

I thank all the workers at Melton City Council for their hard work and thank the ASU for defending their right to fair pay and conditions.