Queensland government goes after power workers

The Queensland branch of the Electrical Trades Union has walked out of negotiations with a government-owned energy company over a dispute about “cultural diversity” recognition. Powerlink, which owns and manages much of the state’s electricity transmission infrastructure, wants to scrap a workplace right that allows workers with accrued leave entitlements to take leave to participate in cultural or religious activities.

The ETU says that Powerlink is the second government-owned electricity company in recent weeks to target the clause in negotiations for a new workplace agreement. Energex, a distribution company, also argued for its removal but appears to have backed down.

“The removal or watering down of such clauses is seen as being equivalent to cultural exclusion and would be regarded as providing implied approval for inequality and discrimination”, said Stuart Traill, ETU organiser for the electricity supply industry. According to the union, the state government is driving the attack on these clauses.

If negotiations with another electricity company, Ergon Energy – also owned by the government – are any guide, the push to wipe conditions won’t stop at cultural diversity. Ergon has presented the union with a log of claims that runs to more than 50 pages. The company’s claims represent the “greatest attack” on conditions in the history of the industry, according to the union.

The company wants to get rid of the “no forced redundancies” clause, working in the rain penalty rates, minimum apprentice numbers and casual conversion rights. It wants to change the ordinary hours of work, increase the use of labour hire, cut the rate at which time off in lieu is accrued and expand the tasks it can require workers to perform on their own. In exchange for gutting conditions, overtime and penalty rates, Ergon has offered workers a flat 3 percent annual wage increase.

Traill told Red Flag that ETU members are angry. While Ergon’s CEO Ian Macleod pocketed a salary of $812,000 last year (up from $708,000 in 2011), workers are being told that most of the conditions they’ve ever won are part of a bygone era.

Bound up with the attack on electricity supply workers is the Liberal National Party’s campaign to sell off the sector. A report commissioned by the government in 2012 has recommended that up to 40 Ergon depots be closed and 34 isolated supply assets be sold.

Part of the government’s privatisation strategy has been to undermine the ETU – one of the most outspoken opponents of its agenda. The union’s “not4sale” campaign has been raising awareness about the likely impact of privatisation through public meetings, advertisements and protests at LNP pro-privatisation forums. These actions have been encouraging, but more is needed. The ETU and other unions have the power to organise a serious industrial campaign against the government’s plans. Rank and file workers will have to be mobilised and solidarity sought from workers in other industries.

Indications are that support would be forthcoming. Working class Queenslanders are well aware of the impact of privatisation in other states. A poll conducted in May showed that most would prefer an increase in mining taxes to the sale of public assets. Traill said that privatisation of Queensland’s electricity supply “will leave workers and their communities exposed to massive job cuts, compromised service, huge price spikes and compromised safety as private companies will seek to maximise their profits”.

Since its 2012 election the LNP government has been allowed, with little serious opposition, to implement a vicious anti-worker agenda. At least 14,000 public sector workers have already lost their jobs without much more than a yelp from their union, Together.

Now thousands of electricity supply workers are facing down a state government determined to cut wages and wipe dozens of conditions off the slate. The same government is pushing ahead with plans to auction off the state’s energy infrastructure. The bosses and the LNP have made their intentions clear. The only question now is: how will our side respond?

[Liam Kay is an ETU (Qld) member.]