Thirty thousand garbage bins will be left stinking in the heat in Ipswich when waste collectors and other council workers walk off the job on Friday.
The strike will impact Ipswich City Council and Somerset Regional Council areas.
It will also see commercial rubbish bins not being collected and Rosewood and Riverview Waste Transfer Stations closed.
The industrial action will not only involve Ipswich Council waste collectors but gardeners, road maintenance, cleaners and mechanics.
Two hundred and fifty workers, who are members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Australian Workers Union (AWU), will participate in the strike action.
Transport Workers Union Queensland Director of Organising Josh Millroy said workers are ready to go out on strike this Friday, as their campaign for improved working conditions and pay increases to ease cost-of-living pressures has been rejected by Ipswich City Council.”
“Taking industrial action is always a last resort, but this is the reality when the Council refuses to listen to and reward their workers. Every day of these workers are on strike would result in 30,000 household bins not being collected,” he said.
“The only thing that stinks more than a full wheelie bin left out on a Summer day in Ipswich, is this Council’s disregard for these critical workers.
“If the Mayor and Council want to avoid a scary Friday the 13th, they should come to the table with a fair pay increase and better working conditions for these essential employees. The clock is ticking,”Mr Millroy said.
Meanwhile, Ipswich City Council has issued a statement ahead of Friday’s strike action.
“During enterprise bargaining negotiations Council has presented a package including wage increases of 12.75% over three years and a transition to a 36.25 hour week by 1 July 2026.
“This balances responsibilities to our ratepayers and to our workforce. Four of the seven unions representing Council have reached in principle agreement with Council on this offer,” the statement read.
The council also stated that the Mayor Teresa Harding and Councillors are not part of any enterprise bargaining negotiations, as it is an operational matter.
