The Guardian 11 May, 2005
Tide turns against Sydney Water
A slow drip of frustration over management tactics within Sydney Water bubbled into
strike action last week when a worker with diabetes was stood down without pay. As
word spread of the stand-down, which workers saw as part of a systematic program to
force their colleagues out of the organisation, depot after depot walked off the job.
The worker in question had taken some leave — on doctor's orders — to get his blood/sugar
levels back in balance. Upon getting the all clear from his doctor, he turned up at Sydney
Water's Seven Hills depot, armed with return to work certificate.
However, management said he was too ill to work and stood him down.
Seven Hills workers withdrew their labour in support of their workmate on the Wednesday. By
the evening of that same day, depots across Sydney had shut down in solidarity and 500
Sydney Water employees were on strike.
On Thursday, Sydney Water managers were under the blowtorch of media scrutiny as water
mains started to overflow while repair crews staffed picket lines.
By mid-afternoon that day Sydney Water management had been hauled before the state
Industrial Relations Commission (IRC), and orders were issued for the Seven Hills worker to be
reinstated.
Australian Services Union State Secretary, Sally McManus, told the media, Sydney Water treats
its workers the same way it treats the public — as a bit of a nuisance.
"This is the organisation that has outsourced key services and now estimates water bills rather
than actually reads meters", Ms McManus said.
"It is also an organisation that would stand down a sick worker, even though he produced a
doctor's certificate saying he is fit to return to work."
The dispute came hot on the heels of IRC orders last week that saw management forced to
respect rostering arrangements.