by Yuanyi Tham
On the 4th and 9th of July, hundreds of workers at Brisbane’s Star Casino walked off the job to protest the Star’s latest pay offer, which would leave over 2,000 staff members as the worst-paid casino workers in the country.
What is the company offering? A 4% pay rise, and an increase in Friday and Saturday penalty rates – at the expense of a 25% cut in Sunday rates. This amounts to a measly increase barely above minimum wage.
The offer is a slap to the workers’ faces. As it stands, workers at the Star Brisbane are paid 10% less than those at the Star Sydney. Bartender at the Star and United Workers Union (UWU) delegate Kaine Kennedy divulged he’d be earning $2 more per hour for the same work if he were working at the Sydney casino.
Many workers described unbearable workloads despite low wages. Games dealer Nathan Shubert detailed the terrible work conditions for trainees, as well as accounts of housekeeping staff being forced to tolerate verbal abuse from customers. “You need to be great at your job and make sure your guests feel good, regardless of the outcome and the emotions they bring into the casino,” he said. “Workers have to deal with that; the executives don’t.”
Sexism is rampant, shown by the wage gap between departments. Games dealer and UWU delegate Marcia Conlan explained that out of all departments, women-dominated areas, like housekeeping and food & beverage, are paid the least. It’s no wonder that some of the liveliest voices at the strike were migrant women, sick and tired of being disrespected and undervalued.
The Star’s executives do none of the groundwork but pocket all the profit. Chief executive Steve McCann receives $2.5 million in salary and up to an eye-watering $10 million in bonuses. Yet he says the Star has no money to pay its employees properly.
Workers aren’t buying it. “Even if the Star was poor, it’s not the workers’ fault,” Shubert argued. “Without the staff, you have nothing. We’re the ones making this place run.”
The strikes have had an incredible impact. Workers initially planned for a third 24-hour strike on Friday, 11 July to disrupt the Brisbane Champs poker tournament, forcing its cancellation. More importantly, it has given workers the confidence and solidarity needed to stand up against the bosses and fight for their fair share. “Being in the union is the most empowering thing in the world,” said Conlan. “It’s a place where workers are going ‘I’ve got your back’ and I can be there for them too.”
The fight isn’t over for casino workers, but theirs is a good example of why workers need to organise collectively. These strikes were the result of workers joining their union, talking to colleagues, and convincing them to strike too. As we suffer through a historic cost-of-living crisis, we need more unionists in every industry and workplace, to challenge our bosses, fight for better wages and elevate working conditions everywhere.
