The single biggest issue in Leppington—and, indeed, across this State—is cost of living. Every day I hear from Leppington constituents who are concerned about the rising cost of essentials. For many, chief among their concerns is the rising cost of energy bills. As a government, we have been clear: One of our primary goals is to deliver practical cost-of-living relief where it helps most. Our Energy Bill Relief Fund, in partnership with the Federal Government, delivers $1.3 billion in energy rebates and targeted energy bill relief to up to 1.6 million eligible households and 300,000 eligible small businesses. Some 8,600 households in my electorate of Leppington will be able to access vital energy bill relief as a result of the State and Commonwealth Labor governments.
Unfortunately, while families are doing it tough, our energy providers have been laughing all the way to the bank. Those energy companies boast massive profits, all at the expense of working families, especially in my electorate. Take Endeavour Energy, for example. Corporate overheads recently increased more than fourfold, and executive remuneration increased by 12 per cent last year alone. If anyone thinks Endeavour Energy is passing on its successes to its hardworking electrical staff, they would be wrong. Since 2019 the real wages of employees at Endeavour Energy have fallen 8 per cent. All the while, those workers are battling increases to the cost of their mortgages or rent, fuel prices, groceries and even the very energy delivered by their hard work each and every day.
In recent years workers at Endeavour Energy have been instrumental in keeping the lights on in our communities, through the Black Summer bushfires, major flood events and the coronavirus pandemic. Not only that, those workers have also been essential in driving our State towards its emissions reduction targets, connecting community batteries and rooftop solar to the grid. It is time for Endeavour Energy to deliver the pay and conditions that match this essential work.
I recently met with the Electrical Trades Union [ETU] to discuss its ongoing enterprise negotiations with Endeavour Energy. Currently, there are 812 financial members at Endeavour Energy from a total workforce of approximately 1,400. That represents a substantial portion of the workforce. In the Leppington electorate, 47 ETU members are employed by Endeavour Energy. That represents some 5 per cent of Endeavour's total ETU membership. Their wages compared with other States are telling. Notably, on-call allowances are below the industry benchmark. Evoenergy and Energy Queensland set higher wage precedents, with the latter offering competitive rates, especially for apprentices, who receive $10 more an hour.
The Australian Capital Territory's recent industrial action and Queensland and the Northern Territory branches' ongoing efforts highlight a regional disparity in pay and conditions. Endeavour Energy workers in New South Wales are only seeking equitable treatment, aiming to align their compensation with counterparts in more competitively paid regions. Those ETU members are fighting for a wage increase in line with the rising cost of living, fairer rostering to allow them to spend valuable time with their families and a stronger commitment to training new apprentices. These are all reasonable requests. When compared with other States, the deal for New South Wales workers simply does not cut it.
The Minns Labor Government took a promise to the election that it would deliver long overdue pay increases for our essential workers. They were neglected and disrespected for 12 long years under those opposite. After only a year on the job, we have already delivered on that promise. The Labor Government delivered the biggest pay increase for New South Wales nurses and midwives in over decade. We secured a historic pay rise for our teachers, taking them from the worst paid in the country to the best. The Government also delivered an agreement that will see our State's paramedics receive an average wage increase of 25 per cent over the next four years. That is the difference Labor governments make—governments that respects essential workers. While the mania for privatisation from members opposite means our capacity to intervene and protect our energy workers is limited, we will always continue to champion essential workers.
