Hydro Tasmania employees strike after failed pay rise negotiations

Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union state organiser Chris Clark said the planned all day strike will result in power outages and chaos, including rolling blackouts in some areas.

But Hydro Tasmania has reassured Tasmanians no services will be impacted.

Mr Clark said workers are fed up with the lack of progress made on negotiations and will commence rolling strike action after Wednesday's full day strike.

"The blame for this impending mayhem should be laid at the feet of Hydro Tasmania's management team and the board," Mr Clark said.

"It's a disgrace and hypocritical when executives on salaries of half a million dollars a year, plus huge fifteen percent bonuses, can always find money down the back of the couch when it suits their own needs or when millions of dollars are spent on golden handshakes to CEO's and executives that have left Hydro Tasmanian over the years, but it's too expensive to put a fair and reasonable offer on the table for the workers keeping the lights on."

Mr Clark said workplace culture was also important, and the organisation's history of rolling chief-executives, and loss of staff, understaffing, the "alleged fringe benefits tax bungles...the Bass link debacle [and] poor supervision of apprentices", all played a role in current negotiations.

Hydro Tasmania said energy supply would not be impacted by the strike action.

It said about 550 employees were impacted by the latest Enterprise Agreement, and its latest offer included a pay rise of between 2 and 3.5 per cent annually with a performance based reward of 1.5 per cent, a pay increase to junior apprentices, and travel and meal improvements.

"We are also working with the CEPU and its members to ensure the safety of employees and the public at all times," it said.

"Hydro Tasmania believes that the Proposed Agreement was a fair and reasonable offer that was market competitive for our employees and...business into the future."

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