Today marks the beginning of negotiations for the 2024 Brisbane City Council (BCC) Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA), with The Services Union committed to supporting you throughout the entire process.
Key Themes and Claims
During the initial discussions, most unions presented their claims, revealing several consistent themes, including:
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Cost of living adjustments.
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Reduction in working hours.
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Improved access to personal leave.
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Enhanced parental and reproductive leave.
These themes, alongside a variety of claims specific to different occupational groups, reflect the unions' priorities. Given the significant time since the last full bargaining agreement with BCC, these claims are not surprising.
Council's Position today
The Council acknowledged the challenges it has faced in recent years, such as:
These issues showcased the Council’s general position that money is tight, and this was evidenced by the proposition that this year’s total budget is less than last year’s.
Council's Negotiation Focus
The Council outlined four main headings they wish to address in the negotiations:
1. Organisational Agility.
2. Leave Arrangements.
3. Pay Structure and Processes.
4. The Form and Content of the Agreement.
More detailed explanations of these headings will emerge as negotiations progress. One issue which the Council did flag is that the frequency of pays was something they want to discuss.
Member Involvement
There will be ample opportunities for members to be involved as discussions progress. History shows that EBA's with the most member input are the best ones, so it's crucial to ensure BCC is unionized and engaged.
Together, we can look forward to hopefully securing a valuable EBA by this October. Ask one of your workmates who is still not a union member to join us TODAY.