By Parker McKenzie
Eastern Regional Libraries is confident an acceptable compromise can be found in continuing negotiations over a new bargaining agreement, after union strikes shut down two Yarra Ranges Libraries on the morning of Wednesday 14 September.
Members of the Australian Service Union have been in negotiations regarding a new enterprise bargaining agreement since June 2021, as they ask for a 3 per cent pay rise, a minimum of three-hour shifts for casuals and minimum staffing levels at branches. They escalated protected industrial action by striking at library branches from 9am to 1pm.
Eastern Regional Libraries Chief Executive Joseph Cullen told the Star Mail on Wednesday 14 September because the Your Library beneficial enterprise is supported by Maroondah, Knox and Yarra Ranges Councils, “we aren’t in a position to offer much more than the rate cap” of 1.75 per cent.
“My door is always open and we respect the staff’s right to enter protected industrial action,” he said.
“Only two libraries were closed this morning —one in Lilydale and Yarra Junction — which was a good result.”
The offer increased the pay rise from 1.8 per cent to 2 per cent per annum for three years and includes “a revised offer in relation to” the minimum staffing levels and shift lengths. The previous enterprise bargaining agreement expired on 30 June 2020.
Australian Services Union secretary Lisa Darmanin said “further disruptive industrial action can be avoided if management recognises the legitimate claims” of union members.
“Library staff are facing the same cost of living pressures as everyone else, and they will not accept the substantial cut to real wages that’s on offer,” she said.
“The Australian Services Union’s bargain team is continuing negotiations for a fair pay increase and greater safety for library staff and visitors.”
Union members previously launched protected industrial actions which included interrupting or stopping work to remove name badges, attaching enterprise bargaining agreement campaign material or putting on union-related clothing, an indefinite ban on performing work in clothes that doesn’t have EBA campaign material or in non-union-related clothes, waiving photocopying or printing charges by library members and voicing campaign messages before escalating to the four-hour strike on 14 September.
Mr Cullen said the lowest paid full-time employee earns $36.88 an hour, above the minimum dictated in the Local Government Award and higher than the median pay of the three-member councils.
“We sat down with the union on Monday and put a revised offer to them yesterday afternoon,” Mr Cullen said.
“They decided to go ahead with the action, but to be fair to the union we made the offer quite late yesterday.”
Mr Cullen said Eastern Regional Libraries would continue to meet with the union — who they’ve met with 12 times since negotiations began — for further discussions and he believes an agreement is likely to be reached.
Further industrial action from union members includes an indefinite or periodic ban on undertaking library programming activities like children’s storytime and tech literacy classes, work stoppages of up to 24 hours’ duration or shorter, a ban on answering external phone calls, interrupting or stopping work for the purpose of speaking to the media and public about the campaign and a ban on staff working at locations that are not their home or contracted branch.
Your Library was created when Eastern Regional Library Corporation was wound up for administrative reasons under the Local Government Act 2020, with each of Maroondah, Knox and Yarra Ranges Councils being represented on the board by two councillors each, alongside a corporate representative from each council.
