Protected Industrial Action

Endeavour Energy deeply values its workforce. We have always been committed to providing a safe, productive workplace that recognises the contribution our people make in delivering safe and reliable electricity to our customers and communities and supporting the delivery of the NSW Government’s electricity transition roadmap.

We have been working closely with the unions since October 2023 to try to reach agreement on a new enterprise agreement.

We have offered a $1000 up-front payment, an 11.5% pay rise over three years – 5.25% from a yes vote, 3.25% in 2025 and 3% in 2026, or matched by a CPI safety net in 2025 and 2026—whichever is higher.

This is in addition to safeguarding existing generous provisions such as unlimited sick leave and offering new conditions such as increasing our out of hours emergency response allowance, and other allowances, and moving apprentices to adult rates when they turn 21 years.

The ETU is calling for wage increases of 24 per cent over three years, or 8 per cent each year to 2026, with no improved services or productivity gains, along with a further 65 claims.

While we have been able to reduce outstanding matters down from 65, the parties are still working through and/or are at an impasse on matters that include:

• paying additional superannuation on top of already generous 16.5% superannuation
• paying a weekly allowance for employees to do a one off e-learning on the terms & conditions of their employment
• providing a union picnic day in addition to the historic union picnic day that already exists
• paying shift workers shift allowances for working day, afternoon or night shifts and Saturday and Sunday rates when they take leave on those days/times, even though they don’t work those hours when on leave
• introducing higher rates of pay for employees when it rains, is muddy, for work in flooded areas, or when the air quality is poor or it is hot.

The cost of meeting these wage claims would ultimately be paid by 1.2 million electricity customers, already under pressure from rising cost of living, and result in industry job losses.

The ETU has been taking protected industrial action since 1 February 2024. It includes work bans, such as refusing to switch, and using or unlocking devices or locking systems.

This means requests for planned outages and electricity network maintenance are repeatedly cancelled and often with only 15-30 minutes notice. This is incurring significant losses for developers, private electrical contractors and the businesses they are working for. In some cases, the action is risking their business survival.

We are working hard to manage and minimise the impact on customers, developers and other government agencies where we can, including seeking the assistance of the Fair Work Commission to mediate the bargaining dispute.

This could assist the parties, through an independent umpire, to try and reach an agreement in the interests of all parties. We are disappointed that the ETU and Professionals Australia have twice refused to participate in the dispute resolution process.

We are confident there is a way through mediation if people turn up and respect the process and think about the interests of our customers and communities as well as the interests of employees and their employer.

While we respect the union's action to have their voice heard, it is disappointing that the ETU has also declined to pause industrial action to ease the pressure on affected businesses who are not parties to the negotiation.

As a result, protected industrial action is significantly impacting the completion of State and Federal significant projects, new housing developments, key food suppliers, transport and water construction and maintenance projects. It is hurting the economy of Western Sydney and the South Coast, with costs and delays continuing to escalate.

Endeavour Energy's priority continues to be the safety of our employees, customers and the many communities we serve.

We remain committed to continuing negotiations with our unions and employees so we can reach an agreement on a new EA that offers fair, and sustainable wages for employees while constraining electricity costs for customers.