Workers down their tools- Council worker Ray Gubbels joined other staff who gathered outside t

By Bridget Brady
ABOUT 70 Casey council staff took strike action in Narre Warren yesterday morning to fight for a better pay deal.
Staff stopped work for about four hours and gathered at the Vesper Road depot to show resistance to Casey Council’s pay rise offer.
Road maintenance worker Ray Gubbels said workers sought a 14.3 per cent pay rise over three years to bring their pay packets up to speed with neighbouring council workers.
Mr Gubbels said the staff who stopped work, which included roads, drainage, parks and bi-laws workers, had hit a “stalemate” with their negotiations with the council.
Casey Council has offered 13.3 per cent, and chief executive Mike Tyler said most staff were happy with the pay rise that was offered a few weeks ago.
“The pay rise has already been implemented so that the vast majority of staff are not further penalised while the union continues to carry on with its campaign,” he said.