Cruise Whitsundays employees on strike demand 30 per cent pay rise

A well known Whitsundays tourism operator faces employees protesting insufficient wages, as the workers’ union claims the company refuses to meet them at the bargaining table. Cruise Whitsundays says the wage increase they demand is “unsustainable”.

Union members on strike against Cruise Whitsundays

Employees of Whitsundays largest tourism operator have protested over insufficient wages as the workers’ union claims the company refuses to meet at the bargaining table.

With the increase of cost of living, Cruise Whitsundays workers have demanded more money to help families make ends meet and threaten to leave if pay discussions don’t progress.

The Maritime Union of Australia Queensland Branch said they have been discussing an average 30% increase in wages with Cruise Whitsundays management since March 2022, when the last contract expired.

They claim that would match what other marine operators in the region are paying employees.

In response a Cruise Whitsundays spokeswoman said the company had implemented pay increases totalling 6% since 2022 as well a proposed immediate average increase of more than 5% to employees.

“The MUA’s current proposed pay increases of over 25% are simply unsustainable for our business,” she said.

MUA Queensland Branch Secretary Jason Miners said more than 70 employees didn’t go to work on September 15, with some of them protesting at the Port of Airlie ferry terminal, after the draft agreement proposed to employees was deemed “ridiculous” and had been opposed by 87.4% of the members.

“Cruise Whitsundays have refused to participate in further bargaining meetings with the Union and have even declined to engage in bargaining meetings assisted by the Fair Work Commission,” he said.

Cruise Whitsundays said 27 staff rostered to work today had not come to work.

Union members on strike against Cruise Whitsundays say the need better pay.

Mr Miners said the Fair Work Commission had given them the green light for today’s strike to be a “protected action”.

About 20 workers all dressed in blue shirts went around the Port of Airlie ferry terminal brandishing signs that read “Fair pay for fair workers”, and walked on to the Airlie Beach markets to distribute flyers to passers-by.

All of the employees didn’t want to be named, saying they were in fear of losing their job if they did.

“I’ve got two kids at home and four souls on one salary,” one of the workers said.

“As bad as the salary is, I cannot lose it,”

Cruise Whitsundays workers said all they were asking for was a “fair pay” that would reward their commitment to their jobs.

“We are the business. We create and maintain the business reputation, we create happy customers,” one of the workers said.

“There’s no recognition for what we do,”

A Cruise Whitsudnays spokeswoman said the company respected their right to participate in protected action.

“A number of our crew members (...) are scheduled to work tomorrow,” she said.

Union members on strike against Cruise Whitsundays walked at the Port of Airlie Cruise Terminal from 6am on Friday September 15. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

A Cruise Whitsundays employee, who didn’t want to be identified for “fear of being sacked”, said if the company didn’t progress in its discussion with the union, there would be a wave of resignations among employees.

“ I’ve applied for seven jobs in the last week,” she said.

Another employee said she couldn’t keep up with the cost of living increase on her current salary and had been sleeping on a friend’s couch as a result.

Mr Miners said employees work really hard to offer top quality services to guests but that in return some of them would get paid below the casual decks crew minimum wage at $26 an hour while the rest would get the minimum $31 an hour.

“They claim to pay “above award rates”, but in many cases identified by the union this is just 1 cent per hour above the legal minimum,” he said.

A Cruise Whitsundays spokeswoman said they remained hopeful to reach “a positive resolution” with their employees soon.