BY DANIELLE RIES.

Ausgrid workers in the Hunter region and across NSW have put planned industrial action on hold as they have given their conditional support for a workplace agreement which will help deliver them wage rises for the first time in four years.

Employees opted to take industrial action unless a new wage deal was struck.

Negotiations are currently underway to increase the wage by 2.75 percent over the next three years along with a one thousand six hundred dollar bonus for each employee.

Employees are also after protection against forced redundancies in line with the NSW Governments privatisation employment protections.

Electrical Trades Union Secretary Dave McKinley says negotiations underway is more than just a pay rise.

“The main negotiations are around trying to ensure we get maximum employment in the Hunter region and the rest of the Ausgrid region.
“But its also to give the company a certain amount of flexibility so they can remain profitable and in turn keep employment levels up”.
He also believes the employees should be treated better regarding pay.

“Throughout this negotiation, we’ve been trying to find ways to make the company a little bit more profitable and in turn keep levels of employment up across the Ausgrid region, purely so that we don’t raise prices for electricity but at the same time the employees get a fair and reasonable wage increase but also keep their jobs”.


Credit- Ausgrid Official Website.