Workers at The Star Casino Brisbane will walk off the job from 4pm on Friday in their first-ever strike, demanding better pay and fair treatment after months of stalled negotiations.
Union members said they have kept the casino running through one crisis after another.
According to the union, management is offering a wage deal that equates to a pay cut, and reduced weekend penalty rates.
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The protected industrial action follows seven months of failed talks.
The company’s offer was rejected overwhelmingly by workers, who say it ignores the cost-of-living crisis and fails to recognise their efforts.
Almost 2000 workers were offered a 4 per cent pay rise, but Sunday penalty rates would be cut by $6 an hour.
For a bartender, this means an increase from $25.55 to $26.57 per hour, which is only $1.60 above the minimum wage of $24.95.
For Kaine Kennedy, a bartender at Star Brisbane, the offer does not add up.
“If I was doing the exact same job at the Star in Sydney, I would be getting almost two dollars an hour more,” he told 7NEWS.
United Workers Union (UWU) National President Jo Schofield said the offer sells out a highly skilled workforce.
“While workers kept the place going in the dark days earlier this year, the shiny suits at Star Brisbane Casino blundered from disaster to disaster,” she said.
So why strike now?
The Star Casino is part of the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf development, one of the most ambitious tourism projects in Queensland.
But the company behind it, The Star Entertainment Group, is facing serious financial instability.
It recently secured a $300 million rescue package from US casino giant Bally’s Corporation after being hit with allegations of law-breaking, including money laundering.
The rescue deal was meant to stabilise the business but is now in doubt after key Hong Kong partners withdrew their support, raising fresh concerns about Star’s future.
Regulators are still considering substantial penalties, which could push the company closer to collapse.
The uncertainty has placed the casino’s licence and thousands of jobs at risk.
“Through all of this, from the uncertainty about administration to our fear for our futures, we’ve kept the doors open,” the United Workers Union said.
“We are the backbone of this business.”
However, workers said management is offering less, not more.
The union said staff are being paid close to minimum wage, despite regularly stepping up to perform higher duties.
They also say management refuses to match redundancy conditions available to workers at Star Sydney.
The strike, workers said, is not just about pay. It is about basic respect and being treated equally across the company.
“The last 18 months have been filled with uncertainty, but Star workers are not backing down”, Schofield said.
“This is a workforce that stayed when everything else was falling apart.”
She warned action will escalate unless the company comes to the table with a fair offer.
“We are open to a reasonable deal. But right now, Star is doing everything except showing workers the respect they deserve.”
The Star Entertainment Group has been contacted for comment.