Tunnel workers on the multi-billion-dollar Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project have accepted a pay deal that will see workers receive a salary increase of at least $50,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) confirmed workers would receive an 8.5 per cent up-front pay rise, followed by a 2.25 per cent increase every six months for the next four years.<\/p>\n
Workers on the renewable energy project will now also receive double-time pay on night shifts and enhanced travel arrangements, after the Fair Work Commission approved the agreement last week.<\/p>\n
The union confirmed workers’ pay would increase by at least $50,000, but the pay rises would depend on their experience.<\/p>\n
“This is probably the best and most successful campaign I’ve been a part of,” AWU NSW branch secretary Tony Callinan said.<\/p>\n
The Snowy 2.0 project was announced by the Turnbull government in 2017. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
The Snowy 2.0 project is based in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains.<\/p>\n
Italian-owned company WeBuild \u2014 which is involved with Snowy Hydro \u2014 told the ABC in a statement that the “agreements introduced a range of improved conditions tailored to the unique challenges of remote project work” to attract and retain the workforce.<\/p>\n
“These include paid secondary carers leave, additional compassionate leave for interstate travel, and enhanced travel arrangements. Apprentices will also benefit from increased pay classifications,” it said.<\/p>\n
The negotiating parties also agreed for regional fly-in, fly-out workers to be transported from Cooma airport directly to other regional airports where possible, instead of connecting through capital city airports.<\/p>\n
Mr Callinan said Cooma flights often experienced weather delays, and workers would oftentimes miss capital city connecting flights as a result.<\/p>\n
“The company is now taking control of arranging the travel \u2026 that’s a significant win,” he said.<\/p>\n
The project was initially planned to be up and running by 2021. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n
Months of negotiations<\/p>\n
Regular meetings over pay disputes started in January with the company’s employer SC Hydro, before around 1,000 workers walked off the job in May<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the time, the AWU said it wanted to bring the Snowy 2.0 workers’ pay in line with those working on North East Link Tunnels in Melbourne.<\/p>\n AWU NSW branch secretary Tony Callinan said more than 80 per cent of the underground workers voted in favour of the deal.<\/p>\n According to the union, workers are ranked within six expertise levels, and some workers’ salaries are about $250,000 per annum.<\/p>\n Mr Callinan defended the “fairly high” salaries and said the workers operated in “difficult conditions”.<\/p>\n “It’s a very hard job in a difficult environment, not one I’d like to be doing,” Mr Callinan said.<\/p>\n “They work two weeks on, one week off. Fourteen 12-hour shifts in a row and then they get a week off and travel home.<\/p>\n “They earn every penny that they get in my view.”<\/p>\n Australian Workers Union represents Snowy Hydro workers. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n Project’s past problems<\/p>\n The Snowy 2.0 project is expected to provide up to 2.2 gigawatts of electricity to the national grid once completed.<\/p>\n When first announced in 2017, the renewable energy project was estimated to cost $2 billion, but the cost has since blown out to $12 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mr Callinan said he did not know whether the pay rises would further impact the cost of the project.<\/p>\n “Money’s got to come from somewhere, but I’m not sure whether they had enough in their existing arrangements or whether there’ll be some sort of variation,” he said.<\/p>\n “I assume the labour costs were budgeted for, or they wouldn’t have agreed to it.”<\/p>\n Snowy Hydro said in a statement that the “new enterprise agreements recognise the significant contributions of the workforce in delivering one of the world’s largest and most complex engineering projects”.<\/p>\n However, the company did not answer the ABC’s question on whether the pay rises would increase the project’s overall delivery costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project involves linking Tantangara and Talbingo reservoir through 27km of tunnels Kosciuszko National Park. (ABC South East NSW: Floss Adams)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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