Ausgrid Industrial Action Put on Hold.

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.

Heads Should Roll Over Death Of Electricity Worker at Buladehlah: Union

BY IAN CROUCH

 The Electrical Trades Union is calling for the bosses of Essential Energy to be held personally accountable for the death of a worker at Buladehlah 3 years ago.

47-year-old Trevor Tooze was one of six workers replacing several kilometres of power lines on Monday September 2, 2013.

He was working on a raised platform when he was electrocuted after taking hold of a copper cable being lowered to the ground which came into contact with a live overhead 11,000 volt  power line.

His colleagues performed CPR but, despite their best efforts, Mr Tooze was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance paramedics.

The top conductors of the power line had been left energised to maintain uninterrupted power supply to customers while workers removed the bottom conductors.

A SafeWork NSW investigation found if Essential Energy had ensured the top conductors were deenergised and the power was turned off at the feeder, Mr Tooze's death could've been prevented.

The company has been convicted and fined $300,000.

Since the incident, Essential Energy has issued a safety alert prohibiting the practice which led to the death. It has also formed a Safety Review Working Group and installed 178 defibrillators at worksites.

However, Union Assistant Secretary, Dave McKinley believes heads should roll over the incident.

"We believe the senior executives who were responsible for this policy, who knowingly placed workers in danger for the sake of maintaining electricity services, must be held personally responsible," he said.

ETU Assistant Secretary Dave McKinley