A major council has been accused of ‘bribery’ after offering a one-off payment of $500 to staff who signed a pay agreement banning the term Australia Day.
The City of Greater Bendigo in regional Victoria is currently negotiating an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.
A copy of the agreement, seen by the Herald Sunproposed that any mention of Australia Day in future be changed to ’26 January public holiday’.
The council also plans to introduce ‘Sorry Business Leave’, which will give Indigenous staff three extra days off each year for a period of mourning or bereavement.
A proposed 3.5 percent pay increase between October 2024 and 25, a further 3 percent the following year and a 2.5 percent increase the year after that.
But this was rejected by Zoe Edwards of the Australian Services Union (ASU), who recommended workers vote against the deal.
Both union members and non-members followed the ASU’s advice, with 60 percent of them voting against the proposal because the 3.5 percent pay increase was not enough.
Ms Edwards said council staff were unimpressed by the offer of $500 to sign up.
A major council has been accused of ‘bribery’ over a pay offer that would ban mentions of Australia Day. The photo shows Australia Day revelers
Victorian Nationals MP Melina Bath said it was “plainly wrong” that the council would try to remove references to Australia Day. A Welcome to Country ceremony is depicted
“I think employees are often very cynical about what they perceive as bribery, and I think in this case you saw employees rejecting that,” she said.
The wage offering “did not keep pace with the cost of living and was below comparable wage offering at comparable municipalities,” Ms Edwards added.
ASU members will meet on January 17 to consider striking if they do not receive a better offer from the council in the meantime.
While staff were particularly supportive of providing Sorry Business Leave to Indigenous workers, their main concern was getting a better pay offer, Ms Edwards said.
Last January, the City of Greater Bendigo moved its citizenship ceremonies away from the traditional Australia Day event.
Victorian Nationals MP Melina Bath said it was “plainly wrong” that the council would try to remove references to Australia Day.
“It is not the role of local councils to decide whether to refer to Australia Day,” she said.
“It is misleading and downright wrong to stop referring to Australia Day and rename it ’26 January Public Holiday’.
“Staff should not be put under pressure into thinking they cannot recognize or celebrate our national holiday.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Greater Bendigo Council for comment.