As the Melbourne Cup approaches, staff at Crown Casino are considering industrial action.
The walkout is scheduled to commence on Saturday, aligning with Derby Day, and persist through Monday, the day before the Melbourne Cup. Personnel are requesting a revised enterprise bargaining agreement that encompasses equitable yearly salary increases to match the escalating cost of living, enhanced weekend and public holiday compensation, more balanced scheduling procedures to enhance work-life equilibrium, and tenure-based salary advancement.
Numerous staff members, including seasoned employee Deb Lipscombe, have conveyed that heightened living expenses make a salary augmentation and improved working circumstances even more crucial. They’ve articulated anxieties about their economic situations, referencing the perpetually increasing expenses of food, commuting, and parking.
The United Workers Union, acting on behalf of the employees, indicated that the vote outcome empowered all union affiliates to engage in the strike, potentially affecting 3,600 workers. Initially, Crown contested this figure, asserting that only 1,700 employees qualified. Following further confirmation, Crown adjusted the number of eligible employees to approximately 3,100.
The industrial action is anticipated to transpire in four-hour intervals between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, and 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Monday.
Notwithstanding ongoing discussions, discrepancies persist concerning the number of personnel authorized to partake in the strike action.