Outdoor workers at Riverina Water have returned to their jobs following a 24-hour walk-off. Photo: Riverina Water.
Workers at Riverina Water have returned to work following a walkout over what the United Services Union believes to be ‘unequal working conditions’.
The protest by members of the United Services Union (USU), centred around what USU members believe to be inequality of weekly working hours between outdoor and indoor employees.
“While indoor staff work a 35-hour week, outdoor staff continue to be rostered for 38 hours — a difference that workers argue amounts to nearly a month of unpaid work per year,” USU Acting General Secretary Daniel Papps said.
“Riverina Water is asking some of its workers to donate 4.1 weeks of their time each year — unpaid — simply because they work outdoors. That’s not just unfair, it’s unsustainable.
“Equal work should mean equal conditions. These workers deserve the same respect, the same time with their families, and the same hours as their colleagues inside the office.”
Despite workers walking off the job on Tuesday (6 April), employees returned to their posts a day later, but representatives from the USU warn the dispute is far from over.
“Our members have shown they’re prepared to stand up for what’s fair,” Mr Papps said.
“We’ve returned to work today out of respect for the community and our shared commitment to public services, but we are absolutely clear: the status quo is not acceptable.”
The USU has reiterated that its members are not seeking additional pay — only parity in hours worked compared to colleagues in similar roles.
“We are simply asking that workers doing equally graded work receive equal treatment,” said Mr Papps.
“This is about basic fairness, and it’s time Riverina Water recognised that.”
The union will hold another mass meeting next week to decide on next steps following the outcome of the board meeting.
The ongoing dispute comes as Riverina Water announced this week it will be increasing its prices in the 2025/26 financial year.
“Like many households and businesses, increases to constructions costs, materials and overheads have impacted our operations,” Riverina Water Chief Executive Officer Andrew Crakanthorp said.
“Our mission is to provide safe and reliable drinking water at the lowest sustainable cost, and this is front of our minds when discussing any changes to fees and charges.
“An increase of 10 per cent has been proposed in our draft 2025/26 Operational Plan, which equates to about a $1 a week increase for the average residential water bill.”
