Business
2 October, 2024
Council, staff still at impasse over proposed wage increases
More industrial action was staged last week, led by the Services Union.
Mount Isa City Council (MICC) management will distribute non-binding vote cards to all staff next week to canvass worker sentiment towards its current wage increase offer.
The vote cards, which will be sent to staff via text and email on Tuesday, will ask respondents to provide a yes or no answer to the offer to increase wages by four per cent per year for the next three years.
North West Weekly understands that the staff will have one week to respond.
MICC chief executive officer Tim Rose said the outcome of the vote would determine how council management continued in its negotiations with the Services Union.
“It is always a distraction when you have these types of negotiations going on in the background, but all our workers are continuing to get everything done that is required,” he said.
The decision to hold a non-binding vote comes after a group of about 15 council staff, led by the Services Union, walked off the job last Wednesday over council management’s refusal to agree to wage increases of six per cent in the first year, five per cent in the second year and four per cent in the third year.
The Services Union was approached for comment.