Ventia custodial officers have secured significant improvements to their pay and working conditions after almost three years of negotiations, following a decision handed down by the Fair Work Commission this week.
The new agreement brings an end to a lengthy bargaining process that began more than 29 months ago and ultimately ended up before the Fair Work Commission.
Throughout the negotiations, Ventia TWU members took repeated action to push the company to improve its offer and stood firm on their claims for better pay, stronger protections and improved working conditions.
The agreement delivers important gains for custodial officers, including stronger workplace allowances, greater protections for labour hire workers, paid union yard meetings, wage increases, increased state funding and new district rates for officers, among other improvements.
The result of the agreement is that the minimum wage increase for workers equates to over $17,000 per year, with future increases tied to CPI.
These gains were not handed to workers. They were won through the strength, solidarity and determination of Ventia TWU members who continued to fight for a better agreement despite the length of the bargaining process.
Workers took the fight beyond the workplace:
Ventia officers also took their campaign directly to the WA Government, successfully lobbying for $6 million in additional funding to help close the pay gap between Ventia custodial officers and other custodial court officers performing the same work.
That funding delivered an additional $256 per fortnight for two years for each officer, on top of wage increases secured through bargaining to help workers keep pace with the rising cost of living.
However, officers were later left receiving just $214 per fortnight after Ventia failed to communicate to the WA Government that superannuation and payroll tax would be taken from the funding.
Rather than accepting the shortfall, Ventia officers continued to push for the full $256 payment, with the TWU backing members in their fight with Government.
This negotiation demonstrates the power workers build when they stand together, both at the bargaining table and beyond their workplace.
Protecting the gains beyond the new agreement:
The new agreement comes at an important time for custodial officers, with the WA Government announcing its intention to re-tender the Community and Court Security (CS&CS) contract when the current contract reaches its end in March next year.
The contract will now be extended until March 2028, allowing time for a full tender process and transition period.
For the TWU, protecting the hard-won improvements secured by Ventia officers will remain a priority throughout this process.
The union will continue working with the WA Government to ensure any successful tender does not undercut the pay and conditions recently won by Ventia officers, as has occurred in the past.
The TWU will also continue supporting members as more information about the future of the contract and any potential transition becomes available.
TWU WA State Secretary Tim Dawson said the agreement was a testament to the determination of Ventia TWU members throughout the negotiations.
“This has been an incredibly long and difficult bargaining process, and I want to congratulate every Ventia TWU member who stood together and continued to fight throughout it.”
“Our members showed enormous patience, determination and solidarity over nearly three years of negotiations. They took action when they needed to, they stood up for their claims, and they refused to accept that they should be left behind.”
“The improvements in this agreement are a direct result of the work our members put in. These outcomes were won because workers stood together and made it clear that they deserved better.”
“This agreement is an important achievement, but our work does not stop here. With the future tender process ahead, we will continue standing with our members to protect the pay and conditions they have fought so hard to secure.”
“Our immediate priority is making sure our members are supported through any transition. At this stage, there are still a lot of questions about what this process will look like and what it will mean for workers.”
“We want to make sure custodial officers are properly consulted and that they understand what any changes mean for their jobs, their pay and conditions, their entitlements and their future employment.”
“The TWU has a strong understanding of what is happening on the ground, the issues workers are facing and what is needed to maintain safe and effective custodial operations.”
“That experience also gives us an important pathway into conversations with Government about any transition to an in-house model. Our members wants us at the table to make sure the practical experience of custodial officers is heard and that the transition is done properly.”
“We will continue working with our members and engaging with Government to make sure they consult TWU members and that safety and jobs are protected throughout this process.”
“The TWU will continue to stand up for our members as the next stage of the contract process develops.”