
Industrial action set to begin at Gladstone power station
On Tuesday, 28th January 2025 the Mining and Energy Union as part of a Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) with 4 other unions, sat down with NRG management in the hopes of finalising months’ negotiations and secure an industry-standard agreement for the workers at Gladstone Power Station. Despite the MEU’s best efforts, NRG management has failed to address key claims raised by the SBU to align with industry norms across Queensland.
Key outstanding issues raised include:
Salaries and Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA): Workers have demanded an uplift in payments to reflect the high Consumer Price Index (CPI) levels experienced during the life of the last agreement. Power Stations across Queensland have acknowledged the financial pressure on workers by providing COLA payments – Yet NRG management remains silent on that issue.
Updates to working arrangements aligned to industry standard: Workers seek changes to their current working arrangements involving rosters and hours of work to align with industry standards, that have been achieved at numerous power stations in Queensland over the past 18 months. Gladstone Power Station remains to be the last site in this round of negotiations to adopt these improvements, which ensures better work-life balance for the employees.
The situation will further compound the ongoing challenges in Queensland’s energy supply network and various maintenance issues, this industrial action at NRG will place further strain on the Queensland energy sector. Today’s negotiations will determine the next steps. However, with no satisfactory progress made, the MEU and its members will commence industrial actions starting at midnight tonight. These actions will include work bans and a 24-hour work stoppage scheduled for Tuesday, 4 February 2025.