Union sues over garbage disposal strikes
As refuse collectors continue to strike in Sydney, waste disposal company Cleanaway could face hefty fines for allegedly preventing union members from protesting.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court last week, the NSW arm of the Transport Workers’ Union is seeking maximum penalties of $125,000 against the company, which is in the midst of a protracted dispute over better pay and working conditions.
Around 35,000 bins were left uncollected in the city of Sydney on Tuesday as the strikes extended into their second week.
The union alleges Cleanaway delayed planned industrial action last year because they failed to comply with the terms of the Fair Work Commission orders that allowed members at the Erskine Park and Hillsdale sites to vote on the protest they are conducting wanted to.
“The union will push for the maximum penalty to act as a deterrent as Cleanaway knowingly breached its obligations and has a history of bad behavior, assaulting workers and attempts to disempower union members. This company clearly needs to be brought down,” TWU NSW/Queensland Secretary Richard Olsen told AAP.
Employees at both sites are in negotiations, led by the TWU, for new company collective agreements.
Cleanaway has reportedly been asked to provide a list of employees affected by the proposed action by December 14, 2022. This came five days later in two separate Fair Work Act violations, the union claims.
The union then could not say what industrial action had been approved in a vote scheduled for December 20.
“Cleanaway’s failure to meet its obligations to workers and the Fair Work Commission has prevented workers from exercising their statutory rights to protected industrial action for a month,” said Mr. Olsen.
“These workers are now locked in an ongoing struggle for sustainable wages and working conditions despite two years without a pay rise.”
The TWU had previously asked the FWC to intervene to allow Cleanaway to enter into negotiations with workers and campaigned for the reinstatement of an elected worker representative after he was unfairly fired by the company, he said.
The union will also file another violation with the FWC after the waste management company allegedly broke off negotiations and tried to block the involvement of statutory negotiators.
“Instead of taking on court bills, Cleanaway should negotiate in good faith and respect its workers so that industrial action is never required as a last resort,” said Mr. Olsen.
Cleanaway did not respond to a request for comment.
