Hundreds of Ipswich garbage collectors and other council workers walked off the job over a pay dispute early this morning.
The Transport Workers Union and Australian Workers Union held rallies outside of the Riverview dump and Ipswich City Council administration building in the Nicholas Street precinct.
The strike also saw 30,000 rubbish bins in eight suburbs not collected and left stinking on the sidewalk in 33 degree heat today.
The suburbs currently affected include Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Springfield Central, Camira, Gailes, Spring Mountain, Brookwater and Whiterock.
The industrial action would also see hundreds of commercial waste bins as well as rubbish bins in the Somerset Regional Council area not collected.
Other services such as council road maintenance, parks and gardens, cleaning and mechanics will also be impacted by the dispute.
The unions are asking for a pay rise of 6 percent in the first year, 5 percent in the second year and 4 percent increase underpinned by CPI as well as increase to superannuation payments for workers.
Meanwhile, Ipswich City Council Acting Chief Executive Officer Matt Smith confirmed that workers had taken industrial action this morning.
“Residents in Springfield, Springfield Lakes, Springfield Central, Camira, Gailes, Spring Mountain, Brookwater and Whiterock should be aware their bins will not be collected on Friday.
“For those residents, we ask they put their bins on the kerb as normal.
“If their bins are not collected today, we ask they bring their bins back in at the end of the day.
The Chief Acting Chief Executive Officer Matt Smith said that council has waived fees at Ipswich dumps to try and ease the impact of the strike action.
“Both of the council’s resource recovery centres at Riverview and Rosewood are anticipated to remain open and waste charges for residents in affected suburbs will be waived on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“While there may be some disruptions to our resource recovery centres, council will endeavour to provide this free service to affected residents.
“Residents will simply need to provide identification such as a drivers’ licence showing their proof of address within the affected suburbs to access free waste disposal up to 80kg to allow them to dispose of general waste from their red-lidded bins.
The Acting CEO Matt Smith said that council is happy to sit down with the union and work through their requests so they find an amicable outcome both for the workers and the community more broadly.
“The council has offered workers a wage increase of 12.75 per cent over three years and a transition to a 36.25 hour working week from July 1, 2026,” he said.
