Brisbane garbos vote to end strike

Brisbane garbos vote to end strike

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE — A dawn meeting of 300 garbage collectors in King George Square voted on November 26 to end their two-day strike and accept the city council's improved redundancy offer.

The strike broke out on November 24, when Mayor Jim Soorley announced civic cabinet would recommend acceptance by council of a collection tender from Cleanaway from next July. The one-person automated operation, replacing the present three-person trucks, would result in a loss of around 100 jobs.

Under the updated agreement, collectors who lose their jobs will be eligible for four weeks' pay per year of service since 1976 (an improvement from 1984 previously), and a $2000 education and retraining allowance.

Transport Workers Union secretary Hughie Williams had earlier expressed doubts about whether his members would accept the deal unless the $2000 was paid to each redundant worker personally.

From GLW issue 125