Solidarity to members impacted by fires and floods across the country this summer
Workers and communities are getting hit hard by extreme weather, are you safe at work?
So far, this summer has gone from extreme heat to destructive fires and floods in Victoria, while Queensland got hit with a cyclone warning, heavy rainfall and flooding. The start of 2026 has hit workers and communities hard. Many are still dealing with extreme weather events or the aftermath.
The 4th of February is Extreme Heat Awareness Day. Heatwaves lead to more deaths and hospitalisations than any other climate hazard in Australia. Every worker can be impacted by heat at work. Check out our Heat Work Health & Safety (WHS) resources here.
When extreme weather hits, workers face hazards at work and a financial burden when we lose work. Smoke fills up our workplaces, severe heat puts us at risk of heat illness, damage to infrastructure prevents us from getting to and from work safely. On top of work stressors, there are extra caring responsibilities for our loved ones and the protection of our own homes and communities to tend to during disasters.
No one should ever have to risk their health and safety for their income. That’s why climate change and health and safety is union business.
Every worker has the right to a safe workplace free of risks, and it is your employer’s LEGAL responsibility to provide a safe workplace.
Unfortunately, many employers shift responsibility onto workers and tell us to push through and put up with it. Your WHS rights still apply when our workplaces heat up and when extreme weather conditions prevent us from doing our job safely.
In fact, knowing your rights, how to enforce them, and speaking up is even more important during extreme weather events. Every worker can be impacted, and climate change will make these weather events more likely – and more intense.
But, there are quite a few things we can do to protect ourselves. When we know our health and safety rights, when we organise around climate impacts as a WHS and job security risk, we can protect ourselves and our colleagues when severe weather hits.
To learn more, check out our webinar on Heat At Work
More information and resources can be found here:
https: //unitedworkers. org. au/blog/feeling-the-heat-at-work/
https: //unitedworkers.org.au/climate/
Casino workers throw Melbourne NYE celebrations into chaos over pay cuts
“US-style race-to-the-bottom industrial relations policies are against the Australian way of life.”
On New Year’s Eve, hundreds of casino workers took protected industrial action making a strong stand for fair pay. Crown Melbourne management refused to walk away from tens of thousands of dollars in pay for new workers. New workers at Crown were facing wages that were $10k-$32k less than existing workers doing the same job. But with workers standing together, Crown were faced with 87% of employees voting against the outrageously unfair proposal. About 5, 000 Crown employees were covered by two agreements and after Crown’s poor offer was rejected, 97% of workers voted to take protected action that covered work stoppages from 10pm-2am, right through the NYE countdown. UWU Casino Director Andrew Jones was scathing towards Crown’s inaction.
“The company is pushing a model that encourages cheaper new hires over retaining skilled and experienced staff, and our members are not having it.
“Overwhelmingly workers have shown they are not prepared to pay for the incompetence of Crown’s management
Members of the community were invited to join the action which caused a huge stir and got a lot of media attention, showing who has the real power in a negotiation that’s been ongoing since May 2025 with many meetings in December attempting to avoid the disruption. Crown refused to move on their proposed two-tier wage system.
UWU and Crown have been back at the bargaining table this month. Members are poised to take further action should Crown continue to force this system into their proposed EA.
This is how we fight for job security and against steep pay-cuts for many part-time and casual workers.
how to get help at work
Are you familiar with our web resources on how to deal with common problems at work?
Dealing with problems like underpayments, dismissal and disciplinary meetings is stressful! But of course, as a United Workers Union member, you have your union to back you up when you need help. If problems do come up at work, rather than calling our Member Rights Team straight away, it’s worth taking a beat and checking out our new and improved Get Help at Work webpage.
On this page, you’ll find info about how to tackle some common workplace issues, and union resources that delve further into your workplace rights. Depending on the issue you’re dealing with, we’ve explained some of the steps you can take to address it, and documents and evidence that you can gather before contacting us. This will also give you an idea of the kinds of questions our Member Rights Officers are likely to ask when you speak to them.
Keeping records about things that are going on at your workplace is a good habit to get into. This can be writing notes on your phone or personal device or in a notebook and filing pay slips and all correspondence from your employer, including text messages.
If you think something isn’t right, it’s also a good idea to discuss your concerns with trusted colleagues, delegates, health and safety rep and your organiser. You might discover that other people are having the same problem and you can work together to fix it.
So, don’t wait until something goes wrong to have a look at our Get Help at Work page. Make sure you know the first steps in case an issue comes up. And if it’s been a while since you looked at our website, have a look around – we’ve been doing a bunch of work to make it easier to find the info you need!
sea life workers refuse to tread water
Workers across Merlin Entertainments, owners of Sea Life, have been bargaining for a new agreement for months.
Last December, in response to the multi-national company’s refusal to stop sinking workers’ pay, members at Sea Life Victoria and New South Wales took escalating strike action to demand a living wage.
Sea Life workers are passionate about their jobs and the animals they care for. They work tirelessly to deliver experiences and keep patrons safe, but their wages have not rising with costs of living. Workers have been sinking and deserve a living wage that keeps them afloat.
These workers have been fighting for a 5% pay increase for each year of the 3-year agreement, fair penalty rates, and safe rostering. Thanks to Union pressure, and members taking escalating action, Merlin was forced to revise their offer.
Members have reached an in-principle agreement, with voting on the proposed offer conducted at the end of January.
overdue: cara, pay what you owe!
Cara Disability Support workers in South Australia have been waiting for years to receive the wages they’re owed.
Despite over 3 years of fighting for monies owed, Cara has yet to fully repay workers.
Workers have been underpaid since as early as 2016, and suspected millions in unpaid wages are outstanding. This affects over 1, 000 workers. UWU has been fighting for an audit of Cara’s finances, and members have already secured nearly $1 million in unpaid wages.
Despite Cara’s promise to complete the next audit and start final repayment by mid-2025; Cara failed to meet this deadline. That why, in December, members at Cara launched a public petition calling out Cara’s behavior, and demanding that the company commits to:
- Honour its promise to complete the audit and repay owed wages
- Set a clear, enforceable payment timeline
- Be transparent about its ability to meet these obligations
Since the launch of this action, Cara has agreed to split the payment of monies owed so workers will receive payments sooner and periodically rather than having to wait for a lump sum payment at the end of the process. But, members are still waiting for clarity. Here’s what Cara Workers and UWU delegates, Michael and Shavanna have to say about it.
“Cara has committed to paying workers the remaining wages owed, as part of the second phase audit, but refuses to commit to a clear, enforceable timeline for when workers like me can expect to be paid. Workers like me deserve certainty, accountability, to be paid what we’re owed in full.
We need every Union member to stand with Cara workers. Sign the open letter & demand Cara set a date to pay every $$$ owed!”
Help apply some pressure by signing their letter here.
canberra airport workers take action and win
“Our members won’t be intimidated into stepping back from their rights.”
After prolonged EBA negotiations between MSS Security and UWU members at Canberra Airport, MSS issued (and then hastily corrected) a misleading and intimidating communication to staff with the aim of stopping lawful industrial action.
But, UWU members’ amazing protected industrial action campaign went ahead during the lead-up to Christmas late last year leading to MSS Security and UWU reaching an in-principle agreement on a significantly improved offer.
Voting on the new agreement closed in late January, 2026 with UWU members being advised to vote in favour of:
- 2% wage increase (on top of 3. 5% increase from July 2025)
- Back pay on 2% increase from 1st January
- A further 1% increase above award increase over next 3 years
- Other terms and conditions in-line with workers at Certis
Congratulations to everyone involved in the EBA negotiations and for showing management who has the power.
