Pay dispute sparks walkout at The Star Brisbane
Workers have staged a strike over wage stagnation and penalty rate cuts.
Australia.- Hundreds of employees at The Star Brisbane staged a two-hour strike this afternoon due to stalled pay negotiations and proposed cuts to penalty rates. Backed by the United Workers Union (UWU), gaming floor staff, bartenders, restaurant workers and housekeepers say they’re earning little more than the minimum wage.
The strike was timed to coincide with peak Friday foot traffic. Union president Jo Schofield said the workers are being offered just a 4 per cent pay increase over three years, paired with cuts to Sunday penalty rates.
“This is an insulting offer that doesn’t come close to meeting cost-of-living pressures,” Schofield stated, warning that the lowest-paid workers, including cleaners and housekeepers, would be the most affected.
Bartender Kaine Kennedy noted wage disparities between Brisbane and Sydney operations. “Doing the same job at Star Sydney would earn me at least AUD2 (US$1.3) more per hour,” he said. “We just want wage parity and respect for our work.”
Star Entertainment, which employs nearly 2,000 people at its Brisbane casino, said in a statement it was “disappointed” by the industrial action, and had made “diligent and measured” offers to workers while navigating challenging financial conditions.
In addition to its failure to post financial results earlier this year, Star is facing uncertainty over an AUD53m (US$34m) sale of its stake in the Queen’s Wharf project. Equity partners Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium have issued a notice to terminate the deal.
Last week, shareholders approved a AUD300m (US$197m) rescue package backed by US casino operator Bally’s and investor Bruce Mathieson.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli stated: “I don’t care what happens in the boardrooms. I care about the workers. They deserve stability and a voice, and they have every right to speak up.”
