Public toilets could be left dirty, important emails unanswered and bus fares not collected as part of ongoing industrial action against the Brisbane City Council.
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Council staff are taking part in protected industrial action as negotiations for a new enterprise bargaining agreement continue.
The existing EBA expired in October.
The Services Union, Electrical Trade Union, Professionals Australia, Australian Workers Union, Rail Tram and Bus Union and Transport Workers Union confirmed with Fairfax Media they were involved in the EBA negotiations.
It is understood the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, The Plumbers' Union and CFMEU are also involved, but they did not respond to Fairfax Media's calls or emails.
Work stoppages and free-fare days have affected the city's bus services over the past three weeks.
The RTBU said it would continue protected industrial action this week, with union-member bus drivers planning to not accept fares on Wednesday and Thursday.
The council has previously stated that each day buses did not accept fares could cost up to $515,000 in lost revenue.
Unions will have their weekly meeting with the council on Tuesday at 9am as they continue to discuss what is wanted in the EBA.
The unions involvement and demands in the EBA negotiations
The Services Union
Members of the Services Union work in administration, technical, and supervisory roles in the council such as the network co-ordination centre, call centres and library staff.
Services Union secretary Neil Henderson said staff went on strike for four hours last week and also have ban on email activity and responding to any correspondence from local councillors.
"Our expectation is there will be limited impact on ratepayers ... our industrial action is inward designed. It's designed to attract the council's attention rather than disadvantage of impact on ratepayers," he said.
Mr Henderson said Service Union members wanted the new EBA to deliver a pay increase, guarantee career paths for staff, a guarantee no staff member would be left in a library on their own and flexible weekend rostering.
Electrical Trades Union
The council jobs covered by ETU members include electricians and telecommunications workers.
These members were involved in industrial action last Wednesday in regards to the EBA.
Organiser Brenton Muller said the ETU, along with the CFMEU and Australian Manufacturers Working Union, had requested a separate agreement to cover outdoor and trade workers.
"This agreement would cover the needs of workers who spend most of their working day away from council facilities, working in the elements," Mr Muller said.
"We believe council have ignored many workers during negotiations and the needs of outdoor workers have not be met.
"Our scope application to have a separate agreement with council will be before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission in late August."
Professionals Australia
Professionals Australia covers council employed engineers and project managers.
The union does not currently have any industrial action planned, but members attended a rally during their lunch break on Wednesday.
A Professionals Australia spokesman said the council had rejected outright its claim to have contract professional members in the scope of the EBA.
"We were willing to negotiate under what terms they would be included, but council would not offer any counter proposals," he said.
"Due to their obstinacy we have notified council we will seek to bargain a separate agreement for contract professionals."
The spokesman said PA's wishlist for the EBA included permanent jobs for professionals and transparency and respect.
Australian Workers Union
The Australian Workers Union has coverage of all workers in local government, except bus operators.
The union mainly has coverage in blue-collar areas including civil construction, park maintenance, road maintenance, parking inspectors and city cleansing.
An AWU spokeswoman said members were involved in the work stoppage on Wednesday, and also commenced bans for an indefinite period on July 29.
This included bans on administrative paperwork, bans on cleaning public toilets and barbecues and bans on responding to messages or email.
"The AWU has tried to progress claims on behalf of members through industrial action which has minimal impact on the broader Brisbane community," the spokeswoman said.
The AWU wants a 3.5 per cent pay increase and job security for its members in the new EBA.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union
The RTBU represents bus drivers as well bus assistants who do general maintenance on the buses.
RTBU secretary Tom Brown said not accepting fares on Wednesday and Thursday was part of the union's escalated strike action.
"Nobody wants to stop work, nobody ever wants to go on strike," he said.
Mr Brown said RTBU members wanted a pay increase, safer buses with increased security and better rostering.
Transport Workers Union
The Transport Workers Union represents asphalt drivers, street sweepers and general transport (such as water tankers) for the council.
TWU Queensland branch secretary Peter Biagini said members had banned two-way radio communications and mobile phone use (unless for safety reasons) and participated in a four-hour work stoppage on Wednesday.
"TWU members stopping work will mean that streets are unswept, resurfacing projects are delayed, and council works programs are delayed," Mr Biagini said.
"Our main focus is job security. With council consistently contracting out for jobs that permanent employees are able to perform, people go to work and don't feel secure in their job.
"We have a negotiating position of a 3.5 per cent pay increase, which we feel is not unreasonable at all - for many of our members it equals about $1 an hour more."
