By CASEY NEILL
SIX months of strike action at the Springvale and Bangholme cemeteries is over.
A pay and conditions dispute between the Australian Workers Union (AWU) and Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) had prompted rolling stoppages at Springvale Botanical Cemetery and Bunurong Memorial Park since 16 August last year.
Late last year, workers were walking off the job a couple of times a week at each site.
But AWU Victorian secretary Ben Davis last week told the Journal there was “no industrial action going or planned”.
“Courtesy of Fair Work, before Christmas we came up with package that’s broadly acceptable to workers and management,” he said.
“We’re just nutting out the finer details.”
Mr Davis said that under the deal on the table when the action started, workers would have lost public holiday allowances and 13 of their 26 rostered days off for a 4 per cent per year pay rise.
He said the lengthy industrial action, which capped off 20 months of negotiations, was because “traditions are so entrenched”.
“It’s been a bit of a slog,” he said.
When the action started, SMCT CEO Jonathon Tribe said the trust was determined to re-shape to be more responsive to the community’s needs.
“We will do everything we can to minimise any disruption to our community,” he said.
In late August Mr Tribe said graves were being left uncovered and families were experiencing anxiety, with some waiting up to 10 days to bury loved ones instead of the usual three to five.
Mr Davis strenuously denied the action affected the public and said the union had to give SMCT three clear days’ notice before any action which allowed the trust to schedule around it.
