A Friday evening email from Brisbane City Council’s workplace relations manager to the Electrical Trades Union has escalated a dispute between union members and the council over workplace rostering. The email told the union that ETU members who had engaged in limited industrial action on that day would not be required for work on Monday.

Twenty-five of 30 electricians employed by the council had begun protected action, involving a ban on paperwork and minor tasks, as part of enterprise agreement negotiations.

Geoff, a long time employee, told Red Flag that he was called by his manager and told that he needn’t turn up to work and “would not be getting paid until further notice”. Geoff spoke for his colleagues when he said that he’s “pissed off” at management’s decision to lock them out. The workers and their union have responded by setting up a protest outside the council depot.

At issue in the dispute, according to the locked out electricians, is management’s refusal to consider their views on a new “flexible” roster system being proposed. The workers, whose job is to service traffic signals, street lighting and other electrical council amenities, explained that their work schedules are already flexible. Many work nights and weekends when needed, and are available on call when rostered. “We bend over backwards to cater for the job to be done”, said Marty, another ETU member.

The proposed roster system would remove workers’ right to choose whether to be available for night, weekend or on-call shifts. Instead, it would force some onto permanent night shifts and include weekends in the standard work week. Workers refusing to work nights or weekends would face disciplinary action or the sack.

Workers are angry that management isn’t listening to their concerns about the impact forced shift work will have on their health and on their personal and family time. Corey, one of the locked out electricians, said he would have to quit if forced onto night shift because of the effect it would have on him and his family.

While the council brought this dispute to a head, the workers are determined to fight to keep their existing conditions.