After years of unfair flex time forfeits, USU members at Liverpool Council have won back nearly 15,000 hours and helped fix the policy for good.
Did you know some councils have flex time policies that make staff forfeit hours they’ve already worked once they hit a cap?
That was the case at Liverpool City Council until USU members took a stand.
In 2023, after years of unfair time loss, 191 members signed a group grievance. With support from the USU, they pushed for change. When progress stalled, the matter was taken to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission in 2024.
Even though Council admitted the policy was unfair, it took nearly a year to reach a fair outcome. But in April 2025, the win came:
- Council switched off the forfeiting process in their payroll system
- Agreed to work with the USU on a new, fair flex time policy
- And recredited nearly 15,000 hours to current members
The USU will also lodge submissions for former employees who are still members, aiming to recover a further 4,000 hours.
This outcome was only possible thanks to the persistence of members and the hard work of USU delegates. This is what union strength looks like!
