Employees at The Star Brisbane casino quit work for two hours on Friday, escalating their pay and job conditions fight as the troubled casino company faces bigger financial problems.
Star Brisbane Employees Walk Out During Friday Rush, Citing ‘Unfair’ Pay Offer
Workers from many areas, like gaming, food service, and cleaning, left their jobs from 4 pm to 6 pm during the busy end-of-week rush. The United Workers Union (UWU) planned this strike, saying it happened because Star Entertainment Group made an offer workers thought was not good enough, reported ABC News.
Union representatives slammed the company’s offer of a 4% pay bump over three years, which would also cut Sunday penalty rates. UWU President Jo Schofield pointed out that many workers already felt the pinch from rising costs of living, and thought the new deal would hit them even harder, especially lower-paid employees like cleaners and housekeepers.
Schofield highlighted that staff had kept working through tough times in the last year and a half, often not sure if they would get paid, and called out the company for not valuing its workers enough.
Bartender Kaine Kennedy shed light on the wage gap between Brisbane and Sydney, noting that the same job in Sydney would pay him almost $2 more per hour. He also mentioned that many employees were quitting the Brisbane casino to find jobs with better pay elsewhere in the city.
Casino Workers Strike Comes as Star Brisbane Battles Investor Exit and Debt Fears
The walkout happens during a rocky period for The Star, which has been struggling with ongoing financial troubles. The company’s outlook became even more uncertain this week after Hong Kong-based investors Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium showed they wanted to back out of a $53 million deal to buy Star’s share in the Queen’s Wharf Brisbane complex. This agreement was seen as key to steadying the casino’s finances.
Earlier this year, shareholders gave the green light to a separate $300 million cash boost led by US casino operator Bally’s Corporation and Australian investor Bruce Mathieson. Despite these moves, worries about the company’s survival continue.
In response to the walkout, a Star spokesperson expressed sadness over the disruption and said the company had worked hard during long talks to find a fair solution that addressed wage growth while keeping in mind its shaky financial state. The spokesperson emphasized that Star remained dedicated to keeping operations going and backing staff, guests, and investors.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli backed the casino’s workers, saying his main worry was to make sure employees kept their jobs while the company’s future remained unclear. He stressed that staff should not lose out because of management’s mistakes, adding that keeping people employed had to come first.