City of Ballarat workers to strike

CITY of Ballarat workers who are members of the Australian Services Union are set to strike out the front of Town Hall on Thursday Morning, calling for a pay rise.

The hour of industrial action by office, road, early childhood, parking enforcement, parks and gardens, and gallery workers, and waste collection drivers, is planned from 10.30am to 11.30am on Sturt Street.

It’s expected that City vehicles including rubbish trucks will be in the street.

A statement from the ASU said many City of Ballarat workers have been taking industrial action over recent weeks, including during the major White Night event, because they want pay parity with employees of comparable municipalities.

“Currently, for example, a worker at the City of Greater Geelong receives about $4000 more per year than a worker on the same band at the City of Ballarat,” the statement said.

“City of Ballarat management has rejected this claim and is attempting to push through a pay rise that will barely keep up with inflation.

“Over the last week and a half alone, ASU gallery workers and the street cleansing team have taken disruptive strike action during White Night, waste collection drivers went on a whole-day strike on Monday 3 June, and library workers went on strike and protested outside the renovated library’s official opening on Thursday 6 June.”

The statement from the ASU said parking enforcement workers who are members of the union have been issuing warnings to drivers instead of fines.