UPDATE: Rubbish strewn across Footscray streets will begin to be collected on Wednesday following the lifting of bans on street cleaning and the collection of bins.
A majority of workers have agreed to a new offer from Maribyrnong Council that provides improved long-term service recognition and gives workers greater say in the contracting out of work.
The three-year enterprise bargain agreement also includes a 3.4 per cent annual pay rise worth about $42 per week.
Australian Services Union (ASU) organiser Melissa Wainwright said work bans would be suspended while the wording of the agreement was finalised.
“The bans will be lifted from 5pm today (Tuesday) and our workers will begin the clean-up tomorrow,” she said.
Mountains of rubbish spilling onto Footscray streets over the last three weeks of protected industrial action had residents and shopkeepers crying for a rapid compromise between Maribyrnong Council and staff in their dispute.
The Footscray CBD has been described as “third world” due to the smell of decaying rubbish and litter crowding the streets due to the selective work bans.
Resident Rebecca, who asked her surname not be published, said the issue was out of hand.
“It’s now a health issue. I also think this is something that needs to be much better explained, residents deserve more information from the council,” she said.
“It is just such a shame, Footscray doesn’t deserve it.”
Social media has been flooded with complaints and comments about the deteriorating state of the streets.
The Australian Services Union (ASU) was seeking a pay increase for workers of about 4 per cent, which it argued was in step with other councils.
Ms Wainwright said Council chief executive Vince Haining met with the ASU branch secretary on Monday with a new offer aimed to break the deadlock.
Ms Wainwright said of the 40 negotiations the ASU has undertaken with local government across Victoria this year, Maribyrnong is the only council where members have launched industrial action.
She said the workers remained on full pay as they were continuing to carry out work in other areas not subject to bans.
