48 hour power blackouts in Queensland

Julia said:

And as Sails has pointed out, they are potentially putting lives at risk if they cut power generation.

Click to expand...

A technicality maybe, but I must point out that we're talking about transmission and distribution (poles and wires) not generation (power stations).

As for the actual wages, someone posted a link that mentions $29.05 per hour on average for Ergon and Energex workers.

That sounds about right to me assuming they are paid 4 hours minimum call out after hours, are paid an on-call allowance whether called out or not, receive commuter use of a vehicle to and from home (must be FBT exempt vehicle or employer pays FBT), have 4 weeks recreation leave (timing at the employee's discretion - 2 weeks notice), 10 days sick leave, work flex time or 9 day fortnight, all overtime (planned or call out) is paid at penalty rates on weekends and public holidays.

If any of those conditions are missing then they are being underpaid. If not then it's about right now. That's simply based on where I think the market to be at for this sort of work.

I'm assuming here that Qld power workers do work in all weather conditions, will sleep on the ground beside the truck rather than actually going home during major incidents, don't have set lunch times etc. Also I'm assuming this is for properly qualified workers not assistants.

Interesting scenario, I thought this sort of thing had been legislated out in the 80's?

We're considered essential workers over here (WA) and as such are prevented, by law, from withholding our labour in this manor.

edit :just saw Smurfs post- above statement regards generation

It must be said however that a wage breakout (across the board) is due and the other three horsemen won't be far behind

A friend has a farm in the South Burnett (QLD) and was sent a letter from Ergon a few days ago to say the power would be off on Thursday from 8am to noon for maintenance work. I told him 'don't you worry about that'...
Ergon maintenance men are on 48 hour strike from 6am Wednesday.
Now he's really not happy... maybe freezers and fridges off...

But they've apparently been on strike several times this year trying to get their pay increase increased and no black outs have occurred...

I still can't fathom how the govt can expect the union to sign on no power cuts during the strike!

I remember when the Brewery's used to threaten to go on strike around every Christmas time...
They seemed to always get their pay rise?

Best time to go for a pay rise would be in the middle of winter, why not?

Will the QLD power companies be issued free carbon credits for the CO2 they will save????

This in today's paper is a relief. Seems the earlier article may have been somewhat of a beat-up from the media:

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Mr McGaw said connections and maintenance work would not be carried out but there would be no electricity blackouts as some sections of the media had forecast.

Repair crews were on standby in case of emergencies, he said.

"We only maintain the power, we don't generate the power, so there won't be any outages," Mr McGaw said.

Industrial Relations Minister John Mickel has said any