Members of The Services Union (TSU) at Noosa Council are ramping up industrial action, culminating in a strike at Noosa Heads on Thursday 3 April.
This follows previous strike action held on 19 March and this time includes work bans designed to highlight the ‘unfair pay disparities and poor workforce investment’ by Noosa Council.
Work bans, including restrictions on emails, phone calls, and meetings, began on Tuesday 1 April.
Parking officers are also issuing warnings instead of fines.
TSU senior organiser John Denny said members have had enough of Noosa Council’s failure to recognise their worth.
“Noosa Council keeps comparing wages to Gympie Regional Council, yet a Level 3 Stream A employee in Noosa earns about $4000 less per year than their Gympie counterpart—and Gympie is now bargaining for further improvements,” Mr Denny said.
“Despite extreme cost-of-living pressures, Noosa Council expects workers to accept a wage increase that doesn’t keep up.
“Meanwhile, the Council has saved $2 million from unfilled staff positions but is spending it on a new payroll system instead of investing in its workforce.
“Staff turnover has hit 20-30 per cent since November 2024, with 30 per cent of employees already living outside the region due to affordability issues.
“Our members aren’t backing down and Noosa Council needs to put forward a meaningful offer – otherwise our members will continue their fight for a fair deal,” Mr Denny said.