Have you ever gone out to bring in your wheelie bin after collection day only to find it still full? That was the situation facing residents of three Melbourne councils this month after council workers missed collections on some streets, while continuing to collect bins on others.

This wasn’t due to any mistake or oversight. It formed part of a careful campaign of protected industrial action by council workers and the Australian Services Union (ASU) in support of their negotiations for a new collective agreement at eight Melbourne councils.

Now, however, the situation is set to escalate. On Monday, the ASU announced a full strike on May 5, the day the Victorian government hands down its budget.

For residents, not having bins emptied can be frustrating and disruptive. But in this case, both skipping certain streets and walking off the job are lawful actions and legitimate industrial tactics under the Fair Work Act strike provisions.

What is the dispute about?

The ASU and its members (along with three other unions) are currently involved in negotiations for a multi-enterprise agreement to cover workers at eight Melbourne councils:

It isn’t just waste collection workers who are involved in these negotiations. Other groups employed by........

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