By BRIDGET SCOTT
EMPLOYEES at the Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens are fighting for their rights for the first time in 30 years.
Protected industrial action has commenced at the Cranbourne site following negotiations since last December when the employees’ enterprise agreement expired.
Union delegate and staff member David Hunt said negotiations have been ongoing with management since September and staff have tried to achieve a new agreement.
Discussions were said to have broken down last month and staff are now taking action to spread the word about what they deem to be unfair conditions.
The previous pay rise for employees was in 2012 and staff are edging for another one soon.
Mr Hunt said the wage offer is “below the cost of living”.
“The wage offer is too low and there are no penalty rates for weekend staff.”
“We believe that the garden is the only state government agency that doesn’t pay penalty rates.”
Mr Hunt said management had told staff that in order to pay penalty rates they would have to take money off weekday staff.
Director and chief executive officer of the Rotal Botanic Gardens Proffesor Tim Entwisle said it is “extremely disappointing that the situation has reached this point”.
“We have fantastic staff and I know this is difficult for them as well,” he said.
“We have explored every possible avenue within the boundaries of the Victorian Government Wages Policy.
“I believe the current offer is fair and we will continue to work closely with the CPSU to resolve the situation.”
Mr Hunt said employees who belong to the union have got involved in the action and that volunteers at the gardens also supported the cause.
Staff have designed T-shirts and posted signs around the gardens to let everyone know what is going on.
Mr Hunt said visitors to the garden won’t be affected by the action, other than that they will see more than “the usual amount of colour around the gardens” and staff may talk about their “unjust conditions”.
“This is a public awareness campaign,” he said.
“The public we’ve talked to are very supportive and can’t understand why government would offer something below the cost of living,” he said.
The land management technician at the garden said “everyone here loves their job but we don’t want to be taken advantage of.”
He said the current offer will put staff wages and conditions behind other people in similar organisations.
He said staff were determined to fight for however long it takes.
“I know that we will be persistent,” he said.
