Category: NSW News

The NSW Government has announced $6 million in funding for a number of public libraries across the state as part of the Public Library Infrastructure Grant program. 
 
Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said 26 local councils, including several in Sydney, will receive grants for projects this year to extend and improve public library buildings, spaces and information technology for local communities.
 
“This significant grant program is part of the additional $60 million over four years the NSW Government is providing to enhance library services and facilities across both regional and metropolitan areas,” said Mr Franklin.
 
“I am particularly delighted to see that this funding will transform library buildings and services for a number of communities. Good libraries contribute to community resilience with quality facilities, great collections, and access to the internet, and we are so pleased to help councils upgrade these critical services.
 
“A record $38.6 million will be provided to councils this year in support of libraries, with further increases to come next year.”
 
NSW State Librarian Dr John Vallance said the funds will enable councils to develop and improve library buildings and mobile library services.
 
“Two years of fires, floods and pandemic have left the people of New South Wales more in need of strong, safe, well-provisioned libraries than ever before. Public library funding is one of the State Government’s most significant contributions to the health of our communities.”
 
The Public Library Infrastructure Grants program is administered by the State Library of NSW on behalf of the Library Council of NSW.
 
All NSW councils were invited to apply for grants in August 2021. $24 million will be allocated under the program over four years.

Newcastle’s iconic Macquarie Pier has received the final touches to its multi-staged facelift with a heritage walk for locals and visitors commemorating the city’s rich maritime history.
 
Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott is spending the day in the habour city visiting one of the world’s largest coat export ports, as well as volunteers and veterans at Fort Scratchley.
 
“Novocastrians should be proud of their city’s rich history and this $1.85 million project is just another way we can pass the tales of the past onto another generation,” Mr Elliott said.
 
“From kids to history buffs, tourists to locals, this walkway with new signage and an interactive audio tour captures the importance of the harbour and maritime industries.”  
 
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin MLC congratulated the Port Authority of NSW for this creative initiative.
 
“Stage 2 of the Macquarie Pier Revitalisation Project provides the finishing touch on an iconic walk visited by hundreds of people daily,” Mr Martin said.
 
Port Authority CEO Philip Holliday said this project is about giving back to the people who live, work and enjoy the areas we operate around the Harbour.
 
“It’s been terrific to collaborate in developing this immersive audio tour and informative signs packed with historical facts and photos – we hope others love it as much as we do,” Mr Holliday said.
 
Local historians and archivists from Hunter Living Histories were consulted in the making of the audio tour and signage which explore everything from volcanic activity 300 million years ago that created Nobby’s Headland to the period when Newcastle was shelled in war time.
 
The interpretive signage and audio guide completes Port Authority’s overall revitalisation of Macquarie Pier.
 
In the first stage, the walkway was reconstructed with features such as a widened waterside footpath, a space for gathering and relaxing, sandstone seating and maritime-style fencing.
 
The Macquarie Pier Revitalisation Project is jointly funded by the NSW Government in association with Port Authority of NSW, and has been generously supported with contributions from Port of Newcastle.
 
The NSW Government’s Newcastle Port Community Contribution (NPCC) Fund supports community projects around the Port of Newcastle. 

Deputy Premier Paul Toole, Minister for Regional Health and Mental Health Bronnie Taylor and Duty MLC for Murray Wes Fang have today turned the first sod on the new Clinical Services Building; the centrepiece of the $250 million Griffith Base Hospital redevelopment.

Deputy Premier Toole said the hospital redevelopment, due for completion in 2025, will deliver Griffith and the surrounding communities with state-of-the art health facilities and enhanced health services closer to home.

“The NSW Government is rolling out record investment for new and upgraded regional and rural health facilities to ensure our regional communities have access to the health care and infrastructure they need and deserve,” Mr Toole said.

“The new three-storey Clinical Services Building will boast an emergency department, maternity and paediatric services, as well as a new rehabilitation and aged care inpatient unit.”

Minister Taylor said the Griffith Base Hospital redevelopment was the largest health infrastructure project investment currently taking place in the district and would provide enhanced healthcare for Griffith now and into the future.

“Once this redevelopment is complete, all major health services at the Griffith Base Hospital will be housed under one roof, in the new, purpose-built three storey Clinical Services Building designed to support contemporary models of care,” Mrs Taylor said.

“The new building has also been designed to improve patient experiences and outcomes, and expand access to outpatient services including renal dialysis and oncology.

“It will also include a dedicated short-stay mental health unit for people aged 16 years and over, with four beds specifically developed for adolescents and young people.”

Mr Fang said today’s turning of the first sod on the new Clinical Services Building marks an exciting milestone for our community.

“This is a landmark project for the local region which will provide the community with improved access to expanded health  services, and means people will spend less time travelling for specialist care,” Mr Fang said.
The state-of-the-art Clinical Services Building will include:

• an improved emergency department;
• significant increase in specialist geriatric and rehabilitation beds;
• new operating theatres;
• surgical, and medical inpatient units, including four beds to support patients experiencing mental illness
• maternity, medical imaging and paediatrics; and
• expanded outpatient services with more specialist clinics, renal and oncology services

Health services will continue without interruption during construction of the new Clinical Services Building.
Griffith Base Hospital redevelopment is part of the NSW Government’s record $10.8 billion investment in health infrastructure over four years to 2024-25, with nearly a third of the capital allocation in this financial year going towards regional and rural health facilities.

Along with Griffith, the NSW Government has invested in major health infrastructure projects in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District including the:

• completed $431 million redevelopment of Wagga Wagga Base Hospital;
• $30 million multi-storey car park at the Wagga Wagga hospital site;
• $50 million Tumut Hospital redevelopment; and
• New Tumut Ambulance Station, as part of the $232 million Rural Ambulance Infrastructure Reconfiguration program.
• $80 million investment in Temora Hospital and $25 million investment in Finley Hospital, recently announced in November 2021.

For news and updates on the progress of the Redevelopment, please visit: https://www.mlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/about-us/griffith-base-hospital-redevelopment

The NSW Premier has no choice but to clean up the deadly gig economy, says the TWU as it demands the NSW Government implement in-full the recommendations of a landmark Parliamentary report setting out a roadmap to end gig exploitation.

The report – the outcome of the NSW Upper House’s Future of Work Inquiry chaired by Daniel Mookhey MLC – recommends the NSW Government establish a powerful new tribunal to set enforceable, fair standards for all workers in the gig economy regardless of their employment classification.

It highlights Federal Government’s failure to regulate the industry leaves States to do the heavy lifting, noting that a fairer industrial system must enshrine gig workers’ rights to collectively bargain, recognition of the role of unions, and mandate improved transparency around rates of pay and data collection.

It also recommends the NSW Government consider removing a legislative carve out which excludes ridershare drivers and food delivery riders from the State’s successful owner driver and couriers laws. A determination set under these laws in February this year drastically modernised rates of pay for couriers and provided minimum pay and rights to gig-style Amazon Flex drivers – a world-first.

TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine heralded the Inquiry’s recommendations for creating a powerful model to lift industry standards.

“The fact this Inquiry was held in the first place is a testament to the scores of gig workers across NSW prepared to call out gig behemoths’ shocking exploitation and abuse. Workers are ripped off, denied basic rights like workers compensation, loaded up with deadly pressure, terminated without notice, injured and killed all because our industrial system out-dated.

“If adopted, these recommendations would finally bring NSW’s industrial system into the 21st Century. A tribunal with strong powers to set enforceable standards would help end the insecure work crisis undercutting secure jobs by setting gig workers up with fair rates of pay and conditions regardless of their classification. In the absence of a Federal system with teeth, it’s a model that should be considered by all jurisdictions, particularly as States like Victoria and Queensland review how they will tackle these very issues.

“The NSW Government has an opportunity to right its shocking betrayal of gig workers last year when it outrageously sided with food delivery companies to blame riders for a spate of worker deaths. It’s time to end the carnage: the NSW Government must adopt this clear roadmap to end the bloodbath on our roads”.

“The reality is that the Federal Government’s let gig exploitation rip across Australia, standing down as these Silicon Valley giants trash our industrial relations system and undermine the standards Australians rely on for good, secure lives. It’s clear the only job Scott Morrison’s worried about securing is his own – and Australian workers are being hung out to dry in the process”, Kaine said.

The Inquiry received submissions from and heard countless stories of gig workers being abused, underpaid fair rates and seriously injured on the jobs, and failures to report the workplace deaths of gig workers.

The gig model of exploitation is built around companies deliberately placing workers outside industrial protections so they can be loaded up with unsafe work. This pressure to make as many deliveries as possible or risk being terminated by an algorithm incentivises risk taking and increases the likelihood of serious injury or death.

Food delivery riders and the TWU recently called on the NSW Coroner to commit to inquests into the deaths of five food delivery riders killed in NSW in 2020, following reports a formal investigation was under active consideration.

One of those deaths – that of Burak Dogan – was covered up and not reported as a workplace death by UberEats because the company maintained Dogan wasn’t working at the time; even though he was logged into the app and receiving orders when he was killed.

Western Sydney families can now access emergency and specialised children’s health services closer to home at Blacktown Hospital’s new paediatric ward opened as part of a $700 million expansion of Blacktown and Mt Druitt hospitals.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard today visited Blacktown Hospital to open the new 12-bed paediatric ward, which also includes two negative pressure rooms to manage patients in isolation with respiratory illnesses including COVID-19.

Mr Hazzard said the new paediatric ward is equipped to manage an extensive range of paediatric conditions for babies through to 16-year-olds, from gastroenteritis, asthma, bronchiolitis, cellulitis and croup to surgical fractures and general paediatric surgery.

“This project has been more than 10 years in the making and the NSW Government has transformed this ambition into reality through our $700 million-plus expansion of Blacktown and Mount Druitt hospitals,” Mr Hazzard said.

“The new paediatric ward has been designed with input from staff and patients’ families, creating a warm and welcoming environment with indoor and outdoor play areas and plenty of toys and activities to help children through their treatment and recovery.”

The new paediatric ward features:

• Inpatient services including emergency, medical and surgical bed access;

• Day stay procedural services, for example, transfusions and drug therapies;
• Ambulatory and community outreach services;
• Specialist clinics including skin prick testing, food challenge and allergy clinics;
• Commissioned art throughout the ward to help make children feel welcome;
• Leisure and play spaces, including an outdoor play area, with appropriate toys, books and activities for children and adolescents;
• A break out space for parents.

Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly said the new 12-bed ward had been carefully designed with local input to provide the best care possible for children and their families in Western Sydney communities.

“The bright and colourful artwork will help put children at ease during what can be a stressful time and features familiar landmarks from the local area that will help them feel at home,” Mr Conolly said.

“Having already accepted its first patients last month, the ward will work in unison with existing paediatric services at Mount Druitt Hospital to enhance and expand paediatric care across the Blacktown Local Government Area and Western Sydney.”

Member for Seven Hills Mark Taylor said the specialised children’s health services provided at Blacktown Hospital’s new paediatric ward were a huge boost for families in Western Sydney.

“Having these accessible, top quality medical services for children in the heart of Western Sydney will make a big difference to local families trying to juggle day-to-day lives with the challenges of looking after unwell children,” Mr Taylor said.

“Children and young families are the heart of our community and having these specialised health services closer to home will assist health outcomes locally both now and into the future.”

In addition to the new paediatric ward, the completed $700 million Blacktown and Mount Druitt Hospitals Expansion Project also includes a new emergency department, women’s and newborn health services, intensive care unit, operating theatres, and psychiatric emergency care service.

The $700 million expansion project brings the NSW Liberal Government’s total health investment in Western Sydney to more than $2.5 billion.

Projects include the $1 billion Westmead Redevelopment; $619 million Children’s Hospital at Westmead Stage 2; $300 million for the Rouse Hill Hospital; and, funded as part of the $700 million Statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program, a new Mother and Baby unit at Westmead Hospital, and two new mental health units at Blacktown Hospital. 

The NSW Government is investing a record $10.8 billion in health infrastructure across the state over four years to 2024-25. Since 2011, the NSW Government has delivered more than 170 hospitals and health facilities across the state, with more than 110 currently underway.

The NSW Government will provide flood-impacted renters, landlords and homeowners with cash grants as part of a new $112 million Back Home grants that will help make their homes safe and habitable again by contributing towards the cost of replacing appliances, reconnecting utilities and making necessary repairs.

Under the Back Home grant scheme households that have been declared as damaged or destroyed and are unable to claim on insurance or natural disaster relief will be eligible for up to $20,000 cash grants. The program is available across the Hawkesbury, Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Local Government Areas.

The funds can go towards any clean-up costs to restore housing to a habitable condition, such as:           

• Inspection and safe reconnection of utilities, such as electrical, gas, water, hot water and sewerage equipment not otherwise the responsibility of utility companies; 
• Necessary replacement or repairs to damaged essential household goods such as refrigerators, ovens, washing machines and microwaves;
• Necessary replacement or repairs to damaged equipment such as computers and tools;
• Replacing other essential household contents;
• Moving to a new property;
• Necessary structural repairs including roof, flooring, walls, fittings (owner-occupier/owner).

The grants will go live in the coming weeks. Applicants can register to be notified via www.nsw.gov.au/floods.

In Lismore today, Mr Perrottet said the grants would help many residents with damaged dwellings get back to their homes sooner.


“Our overriding priority is to get people into safe housing, and we are looking at every possible avenue to do that,” Mr Perrottet said.

“For those people who have properties or homes that can be repaired, this grant can be the cash that they need to make urgent repairs such as fixing roofs, making properties watertight, connecting back to electricity and replacing furniture and fridges.”

Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the grants would provide residents with money to address immediate needs.

“These grants will be delivered to the people who need it fast – we have lifted the red tape to ensure the money is delivered and homes can be repaired as quickly as possible,” Mr Toole said.

Treasurer Matt Kean said the NSW Government had already contributed more than a billion dollars to the flood recovery efforts, with today’s package worth more than $112 million.

“From the day the floods hit, our focus has been on getting important funding and support where it’s needed as quickly as possible to help people get back on their feet,” Mr Kean said.

The Back Home grants are in addition to a series of other clean-up programs and work under way.  Waste levies have been waived for flood-affected local government areas, about 17,000 truckloads of waste have been removed, and free structural assessments are being conducted under the Property Assessment and Demolition (PAD) program.

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the Back Home grants were the latest addition to a range of resources and grants available to help people during the flood recovery.

“The Back Home grants will help flood-affected communities return to their homes quicker by allowing them to make vital repairs and replace damaged white goods, equipment and crucial household items,” Ms Cooke said.

“The NSW Government is continuing to work closely with local government, government agencies and stakeholders on housing solutions to make sure people have a roof over their head while they try to rebuild their lives.”

Eligibility:

• Eligible owner-occupiers and landlords will receive up to $15,000 through the Back Home grant program, to repair and refit damaged homes;
• An additional payment of up to $5,000 per property can be accessed for the replacement of essential household items. This is only available to renters and owner/occupiers;
• A maximum of $20,000 will be available for any one property;
• The program is available across the Hawkesbury, Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Local Government Areas;
• Those who have received the means tested Disaster Relief Grant are not eligible for this package;
• The property must be assessed as damaged, destroyed or uninhabitable by the SES.
• The owner or renter must be uninsured or unable to claim insurance.

Season seven of the Origin Energy Premier League gets underway at Netball Central in Sydney Olympic Park this Wednesday night and it promises to be the most competitive yet.

Since its introduction in 2016, the Premier League has become the pinnacle of netball competition in NSW, showcasing the best current and emerging talent within the state.

Across 10 franchises, who field teams in Opens and Under 23s Divisions, it offers a local elite platform for players, coaches, officials and administrators. This in turn provides bridging opportunities to the Australian Netball Championships and subsequently, Suncorp Super Netball (SSN).

Over the past two weeks players who were stalwarts of the Premier League in 2022 and 2021 made the step-up to SSN level with Kelly Singleton (Sapphires/NSW Swifts), Teigan O’Shannassy (Sapphires/Swifts), Wagga native Sophie Fawns (Hawks/NSW Swifts), Lili Gorman-Brown (Stingrays/NSW Swifts), Angela Frketic (Sparks/GIANTS Netball), Amy Sligar (Fury/GIANTS Netball), Jemma Donoghue (Sapphires/GIANTS) and Orange’s Annie Miller (Sapphires/Sunshine Coast Lighting) all debuting in the world’s greatest club netball competition.

“I think the past few weeks have shown how Premier League is preparing NSW’s best talent for the step-up to SSN,” Claire Dale, Competitions Manager at Netball NSW, said.

“We are at a stage now where we are seeing the vision that Netball NSW had back in 2016 becoming a reality.

“The setups that our franchises have are operating at a high-performance level, and when you couple that with the great work being done in the QBE Swifts and GIANTS Netball Academies you have a production line of talent.

“Annie Miller and Amy Sligar earned themselves fulltime SSN contracts while everyone who saw Sophie Fawns fill-in for the Swifts at the weekend is right to be excited.

“In previous years we’ve had some Swifts and GIANTS drop back to Premier League to get game time, and while that’s still likely to happen it’s wonderful to see young NSW kids getting to step-up to and be ready for the highest level in our game.”

In 2022 (across Opens and U23 divisions) there will be 14 regular-season rounds with all teams playing each other once in the opening nine before they split into Conferences for the final five.

All teams will play their respective Conference opponents once between Rounds 10-14 with each side also receiving a bye during the same period. Then, at the end of Round 14, the top-three sides from both Conferences A and B will progress to the 2022 Finals Series.

The Final Series will consist of Qualifying, Semi and Preliminary Finals across both Conferences before Opens and U23s Grand Finals decide who will be crowned 2022 Premiers.

Once again, in great news for the NSW netball community, fans will be able to watch every game live and free via broadcast partners Cluch TV.

“Cluch’s enthusiasm to bring excitement and innovation to our live broadcasts aligns perfectly with the rising profile of the Premier League,” Dale added.

“Their coverage has really filled a gap in the market to highlight the amazing up-and-coming athletes, coaches and umpires in our game, and we look forward to continued partnership with them in 2022.

“I really encourage all of our netball community to tune in and watch the Premier League because it is really easy to see where our next Swifts, GIANTS and Diamonds are coming from.”

All fans need to do is download the Cluch TV app, register for an account and they can watch for free on their Smart TV or phone/tablet.
Netball NSW would also like to thank Origin Energy – Naming Right Partners of the Premier League – for their support.

2022 FRANCHISES (Opens & U23s)

• Capital Spirit
• Central Coast Heart
• ERNA Hawks
• GWS Fury
• Manly Warringah Sapphires
• North Shore United
• Panthers
• South Coast Blaze
• Sutherland Stingrays
• UTS Randwick Sparks

Veterans across NSW will be honoured through traditional Anzac Day commemorative services as 2022 heralds the return of full-scale dawn services and marches, while two-up will be played over three days during the Anzac Day long weekend, and veterans, their families and friends will travel on any mode of public transport for free.  
 
Commemorations across NSW will return to normal on 25 April for the first time in three years, including large-scale events such as the Dawn Service in Martin Place and the Sydney CBD March.
 
Two-up will be allowed to be played at clubs and pubs across all three days of the Anzac Day long weekend for the first time.
 
Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott said Anzac Day this year would be a moving and significant occasion for many veterans who missed out on marching or attending a reunion over the last few years due to COVID restrictions.
 
“This year not only marks the first year since the Australian Defence Force’s withdrawal from Afghanistan but is also the first time, since 2019, that veterans will be able to reconnect with mates to attend their annual reunions free of restrictions,” Mr Elliott said.
 
“I encourage the community to take advantage of the free public transport to travel to their local reunions, marches and commemorative events or head into the city to show support for our defence force personnel, past and present,” he said.
 
Minister for Hospitality Kevin Anderson said this one-off special measure will allow patrons to play two-up not only on Anzac Day but on the two days before – Saturday 23 April and Sunday 24 April.
“This is a great way for people to come together to enjoy the Anzac spirit while paying respect to veterans past and present while also giving pubs and clubs a leg up as they continue to recover from a challenging few years,” Mr Anderson said.
“Pubs and Clubs play an important role on Anzac Day, providing a place for war veterans to gather, reminisce and share the Anzac spirit with their mates and families, this will give an added incentive for people to head to their local,” he said.
RSL NSW President Ray James welcomed the Government’s announcement and called on veterans of recent Middle East operations to join them in a place of prominence in the Sydney CBD March.
 
“Anzac Day is a time for the NSW community to come together and pay tribute to all members and veterans of the Australian Defence Force who have followed in the Anzac’s footsteps – soldiers, sailors and air force personnel – for their service and sacrifice,” Mr James said.
 
“As the custodians of the ANZAC spirit, RSL NSW and the veteran volunteers in its Sub-Branches work tirelessly to ensure people honour the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have served their country in all conflicts.” he said.
 
For more information about Anzac Day visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/about-nsw/anzac-day-2022

Small businesses across NSW will continue to receive expert, independent and personalised advice to boost their operations following the announcement of 10 specialist service providers for the following three years as part of the Business Connect program.

Small Business Minister Eleni Petinos said that Business Connect, a dedicated NSW Government program that provides advice, events and resources to small businesses to help them start, run, adapt and grow their operations, has provided an invaluable service to the NSW business community since its inception in 2017.

“Business Connect has helped more than 44,000 businesses since the program first began in 2017 and it’s fantastic that these services will continue for a further three years,” Ms Petinos said.

“The program is unique in that it provides personalised and tailored support to individual small businesses on matters ranging from marketing, social media, business planning, sales strategies and adopting digital tools.

“Following a challenging couple of years due to events such as the pandemic and the recent floods, the Business Connect program is more important than ever.

“I look forward to the 10 service providers announced today continuing to help NSW small businesses boost their operations over the coming three years.”

Following a call for suppliers in November, a panel of 10 service providers has now been formed to deliver support to the Business Connect program from today through to June 2025.

Organisations selected to deliver Business Connect services to June 2025 are:

1. NORTEC
2. The Business Centre
3. Central NSW Business HQ
4. Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre
5. Western Sydney Business Centre
6. Epiphany Group
7. Realise Business
8. Creative Plus Business
9. Community Migrant Resource Centre
10. NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce

For more on Business Connect go to: www.nsw.gov.au/businessconnect

Thousands of health and hospital workers across ambulance, cleaning, allied health, admin, security, catering and wards will walk off the job this Thursday to demand a genuine pay rise as opposed to the pay cut being offered by the State Government.

Despite repeated attempts by the Health Services Union to open up the State’s hospital awards and begin genuine bargaining for productivity-based pay rises, health and hospital workers have been left with no alternative.

Everything is going up except their pay. The most recent quarterly figures showed inflation running at 3.5 per cent, with economists tipping it will hit five per cent within months. Under the NSW wages cap, public sector pay increase can not legally exceed 2.5 per cent.

Gerard Hayes, HSU NSW Secretary said workers are fed up.

“Health and hospital workers are sick of mealy-mouthed rhetoric. We don’t need another politician thanking us for being heroes of the pandemic, we need a pay rise.

“When politicians and managers retreated to air-conditioned zoom meetings, paramedics, ward assistants and security guards exposed themselves to COVID, without a vaccine, and often without masks and protective gear. We did our bit for the community.

“Now as the pandemic subsides, health and hospital workers are being smashed by higher prices and stagnant wages. The rent on a three bedroom home in Sydney surged 11.3 per cent in the last year. And everyone knows mortgage interest rates are set to double.

“Every time a hospital worker fills up at the bowser they’re being stung for more than two dollars a litre.

“Unfortunately this tightfisted approach spills over to the private sector. If a therapist in a public hospital can’t get more than 2.5 per cent, how does someone in an aged care facility doing the same work bargain for higher wages?

“NSW and the nation desperately need higher wages and this needs to start in the NSW health system.”
Thursday’s action includes:

A stop work meeting for 4 hrs from 10am – 2pm at all major metro hospitals;

A stop work meeting for 2 hrs from 10am -midday at major regional hospitals including John Hunter, Wollongong, Gosford, Coffs Harbour, Murrumbidgee, Bathurst, Tweed and Tamworth..

Stop work meetings at all remaining regional hospitals.

Paramedics to stop work meeting from 7am to 8am (emergency response unaffected) to vote on further industrial action.