Throughout most of 2024, USU members working at Cessnock’s Waste Management Centre have had ongoing issues regarding their roster system and the vacant permanent positions that were not being recruited for and filled in a timely manner.
It was reported to the USU Organiser that management of the Waste Centre were using labour workers hire to fill vacant positions rather than hiring full time Council employees in accordance with the Award. As well as the lack of permanent staff, it was alleged that the Centre management were persisting in using an inadequate and outdated roster system, which was costing some of our USU members overtime shifts.
Frustrated with the Centre management’s apparent reluctance to fix the roster while there were vacancies still outstanding and the perceived lack of urgency in filling those vacancies, USU members banded together and registered a grievance to rectify the situation.
USU members and Officials then participate in negotiations with HR representatives and the management of the centre to come to a satisfactory resolution. As a result of our USU members lodging a grievance in accordance with the Award the matter was formally dealt with by the USU Officials and Council’s HR resulting in Council promising and now delivering four new permanent staff member positions for the Waste Management Centre and the new Manager of the Centre drew up a new roster that provides our members with a fairer and more consistent spread of hours as well as access to regular overtime shifts.
This was a great outcome for everyone involved as it shows what kind of outcomes can be achieved when we have strong collective strength through our membership and importantly they act by lodging a grievance rather than complaining and refusing to act.
