ETU NSW & ACT Branch, Electrical Trades Union

25/08/2026

The ETU has secured an important win for workers on Sydney's iconic Balmain ferries, delivering stronger protections against the overuse of subcontracting and its impact on permanent employees.

After workers raised concerns, the ETU investigated and challenged a number of practices implemented by Transdev, the contractor responsible for ferry operations.

Following negotiations, we secured a number of important commitments, including:

• ETU delegates will attend weekly workforce planning meetings, ensuring workers have a voice in rostering decisions.
• Overtime and preferred shifts will be offered to full-time employees first.
• Delegates will have the right to consult with and provide inductions to new subcontractors.
• Ongoing work will be performed by permanent employees, with subcontractors used for short-term maintenance work only.
• Subcontractors will receive the 25 per cent loading provided for under the Enterprise Agreement.
• ETU representatives will be invited to six-monthly labour review meetings.

These commitments are an important step towards reining in excessive subcontracting, protecting secure jobs and ensuring workers are treated fairly.

It's a solid win for our members, for permanent workers and for subcontractors who deserve the wages and conditions they've been promised.

18/08/2026

ETU members at Confluence Water, a key contractor responsible for maintaining Sydney Water's network, have taken protected industrial action since Friday following a breakdown in negotiations over a new enterprise agreement, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) NSW/ACT says.

The electrical workers maintain critical water and wastewater infrastructure across Sydney's northern region, including North Sydney, Chatswood, Potts Hill and North Head, helping ensure safe drinking water and reliable sewerage services for millions of people.

ETU NSW/ACT Secretary Allen Hicks said after more than 18 months of stalled negotiations, workers were left with no choice but to walk off the job.

“These are essential workers whose job is to keep safe drinking water flowing to homes, hospitals, schools and businesses every single day,” Mr Hicks said.

“They perform highly skilled, safety-critical work that most people never see, but everyone relies on.

“The company has had more than enough time to negotiate a fair agreement. Instead of providing workers with the wages and conditions they deserve, the company has strung them along with meetings that are cancelled at the last minute, withdrawn offers, and inferior agreement proposals that workers have repeatedly rejected.

17/08/2026

The people who keep our water safe shouldn't have to fight this hard for a fair deal!

Today, members rallied asking Confluence Water to come back to the bargaining table and negotiate with the workers.

These workers play a vital role in protecting public health. They help ensure the water coming out of our taps is safe to drink and that wastewater is treated properly. Despite the importance of their work, they remain some of the lowest-paid water technicians in the sector.

Bargaining for a new agreement has now dragged on for 18 months. Meetings have been cancelled at the last minute, and Confluence Water has not been treating the workforce with the respect they deserve.

Our members are asking for a reasonable pay increase and a fair agreement that reflects the value of the work they do every day.

Today they made it clear they're not backing down. They won't return until Confluence Water comes back to the table and negotiates.

15/08/2026

Confluence Water workers walked off the job on Friday!
After more than two years of negotiations, Confluence Water workers have had enough.
These workers keep critical water and wastewater infrastructure running across Sydney. They do highly skilled, safety-critical work that millions of people rely on every day.
The company has dragged out negotiations, cancelled meetings, withdrawn offers and put forward agreements workers have rejected.
So workers have walked off the job.
Now it’s time to stand together and keep the pressure on.
Rally this Monday, 17 August at 9:00am at Sydney Water head office.
Come along and stand with the workers for better wages, conditions and respect at work!

14/08/2026

This week the ETU attended the anti-AUKUS inquiry in Wollongong, where the community is demanding answers about the proposed nuclear submarine facility at Port Kembla.

The ETU has a longstanding opposition to nuclear energy in Australia, based on concerns about safety, nuclear waste, decommissioning and the risks that come with a nuclear industry.

AUKUS raises even more questions. Australia is being asked to spend up to $368 billion while receiving second-hand submarines and relying heavily on the US and UK for the most advanced work. At the same time, there are still no clear answers about where nuclear waste will go or how these submarines will eventually be decommissioned.

There are also serious questions about Australian jobs and sovereign capability, and whether AUKUS will actually make Australia safer.
Workers and communities deserve a say in the future we build.

13/08/2026

13/08/2026

This is a significant win for workers, the Hunter region and Australia's industrial future. The ETU NSW/ACT has worked hard to help secure the future of the Tomago aluminium smelter, ensuring it will remain open and continue to play a vital role in Newcastle's and NSW's industrial landscape.

The smelter supports thousands of jobs across the region, and after months of uncertainty, workers and their families can finally have confidence that their livelihoods are secure.

The agreement is also a major step forward for Australia's transition to renewable energy. As ETU organiser Brad McDougall said, "On the surface, that looks like a plan to keep one manufacturer operating, but in reality, it could become one of the biggest catalysts for renewable energy investment in NSW."

The $2.5 billion support package, jointly funded by the NSW and Federal Governments, represents a strong investment in Australian manufacturing, regional jobs and the clean energy transition. It is a great outcome for Tomago workers, the Newcastle region and Australia as a whole.

Congratulations!

12/08/2026

Read this article about Tomago from the Daily Telegraph

Chris Minns and Anthony Albanese must “put their egos aside” and strike a deal to save 1200 construction jobs in the Hunter, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) says.
Time is running out for the state and federal governments to announce a bailout to keep the Tomago aluminium smelter open beyond 2028. While both governments have committed to a support package, on Sunday, the NSW Premier said it was still too early to say when a deal would be announced. The Albanese government is reportedly planning to use taxpayer-subsidised power from Snowy Hydro to prop up Tomago’s operations, which would keep the smelter running and protect more than 1000 jobs. The proposed support package would see the commonwealth supply cut-price power
to the Rio Tinto-controlled Tomago to keep it running, with the taxpayer partly footing the bill.
On Sunday, Mr Minns said talks with the commonwealth were “continuing”. The state and federal governments are reportedly squabbling over who would subsidise the cost of the support package.
But ETU organiser Brad McDougall said Mr Minns and Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese needed to sign an agreement “sooner rather than later”. “They’ve got to put their egos aside and just and just sign the cheque,” he said. “They need to sign a cheque and sort out this power contract. If they can’t come up with a contract to continue supplying power to the smelter, it can’t keep running, and it will just devastate the region,” he said.

Tomago Smelter supports over 1000 direct jobs and far more indirect jobs across the Newcastle region. The ETU is calling on the government to step in and offer the support it has promised.
The workers deserve certainty and security, and to see their jobs and the region protected. The government needs to pay up and stop trying to kick the can down the road.

11/08/2026

Congratulations to members at Kerfoot for securing your in-principle agreement.
Members voted up an in-principle agreement that delivers massive improvements across wages, conditions and leave.

This agreement also includes:

• 6%, 6%, 8% and 9% wage increases for HVAC Electricians
• 6%, 6%, 6%, 5.25% wage increases
• May Day as a paid day off
• Five weeks annual leave from August 2026
• 75% afternoon shift loading and 100% night shift loading
• Site allowance cap increased to cover projects worth up to $1 billion
• Increased Health and Safety Representative (HSR) allowances
• Higher commissioning allowances recognising specialised work
• Improved high-voltage allowances
• Increased live prison allowances
• Significant boosts to fares, travel and redundancy entitlements

These outcomes also recognise the vital role HVAC workers play across major projects and critical infrastructure.

Congratulations on this amazing, well-earned EBA. 👏💪