On 1 October, the USU spent hours in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) defending Union Picnic Day at Penrith City Council.
Our message was clear: Picnic Day belongs to union members. If Council wants to hold an event for all staff, they should create a separate ‘Penrith Staff Day’ not take away a hard-won union entitlement.
What happened in the Commission?
While some progress was made in the Commission, no deal acceptable to members for members to vote on was reached. The IRC has now asked Council to submit a further offer by 17 October for union members to consider. The matter will return to the Commission on 27 October.
Keep the solidarity
In the meantime, Penrith members have shown their strength through incredible solidarity actions, standing united with signs, photos, and messages of support.
This fight isn’t over. We’ll keep members updated, and we encourage everyone at Penrith to keep up the pressure and show that Union Picnic Day is not negotiable.
