Sovereign Hill workers vote in favour of wage offer, ending looming union strike

Looming industrial action has been put to bed as Sovereign Hill staff vote in favour of a three-year wage offer by the museum’s management.

Unionised workers at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat are threatening industrial action over EBA negotiations. Photo: File

UPDATE: Sovereign Hill staff have voted in favour of a three-year enterprise agreement, ending stalled negotiations and the threat of a strike by unionised workers.

The accepted offer comprises a 5 per cent pay rise in the first year, a 3.5 per cent increase in years two and three, and a one-off $1500 bonus with backpay from the beginning of 2023.

A majority of union members earlier voted for work stoppages of various periods, delays to live performances, bans on photography and costume-wearing, and a halt on feeding gold into the museum’s creek, protesting that the pay offer did not meet inflation.

CEO Sara Quon said the yes vote “clears the way for a better future” for Sovereign Hill and its staff.

“We value our team immensely and look forward to moving on with confidence as we

deliver a brilliant Winter Wonderlights event for our visitors.”

“I’d also like to thank everyone involved in the bargaining processes that has now drawn

to a close.”

An MEAA spokesman noted the offer was “narrowly approved”.

“We congratulate members on their collective action which resulted in management improving its original offer of just 2.5 per cent for the first year of the agreement to 5 per cent,” he said.

It’s understood workers will also receive a 1.8 per cent sign-on bonus, such that a full-time worker will receive a pay increase in line with inflation in the agreement’s first year.

EARLIER: There could be fewer eureka moments for kids visiting one of Victoria’s premier tourist attractions as some workers put their feet down on stalled wage talks.

Unionised staff at Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill threatened industrial action last week because of what they considered an inadquate pay offer from the open-air museum’s management.

With EA bargaining in its 11th month, workers refused a three-year offer consisting of a 5 per cent pay rise in the first year, a 3.5 per cent increase in years two and three, and a one-off $1500 bonus with backpay from the beginning of 2023.

Sovereign Hill said the offer also included opportunities for training, flexibility, and career progression.

Union members protested that the pay rise did not meet inflation, and they voted in favour of protected action in a ballot which ended on Tuesday evening.

Panning for gold at Sovereign Hill.

Eleven proposed actions were supported by at least three quarters of those who voted, including work stoppages of various periods, delays to live performances, bans on photography and costume-wearing, and a halt on feeding gold into the museum’s creek.

Panning for gold may be Sovereign Hill’s most prominent activity, with the creek’s banks frequently crowded with visiting prospectors, many of them children.

Additionally, more than 82 per cent of union voters were in favour of a strike of up to 24 hours.

However, it is understood unionised workers at Sovereign Hill are a minority, and all employees will be asked to vote on management’s offer up until next week.

No industrial action will occur at least until the conclusion of that vote and would cease entirely if management’s offer were accepted by the majority of staff.

Nevertheless, the MEAA’s Nikau Irvine said a better deal could be reached and called on Sovereign Hill to withdraw its proposal.

“The wage offer on hand will mean a real wage cut after inflation; refusal to reinstate penalty rates will continue to punish those who work on weekends; and the refusal to discuss volunteer engagement opens up the risk for management to make good on their threats to replace employees with volunteers,” he said.

Sovereign Hill previously said it had no plans to replace employees with volunteers.

Chief executive Sara Quon said earlier that compared to other enterprise agreements approved by Fair Work, the organisation’s offer was “close to double the average in year one”.

“It would be financially irresponsible to deliver what the bargaining group wants,” she said.

“It would inevitably put our museum on a downward spiral — we would eventually not be able to operate.

A horse-drawn carriage brings visitors through Sovereign Hill.

“...The reality here is that our bargaining reached an impasse after months of discussion and

we felt there was no choice but to move to a vote without an in-principle agreement.

“At that stage the final request from the bargaining group still amounted to a nearly 30 per cent cost increase in year one.”

In response to the favourable industrial action vote, Ms Quon repeated that Sovereign Hill could not afford the union’s demands, saying they threatened the viability of the museum.

“Our entire workforce that is covered by enterprise bargaining is voting over the next week on our fair and generous pay and conditions offer,” she said.

“We remain hopeful we will receive their support.”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported that the monthly Consumer Price Index indicator rose 6.8 per cent in the year to April 2023.

The Sovereign Hill Museums Association is a registered charity which as of last financial year had 203 full-time equivalent staff and 192 volunteers.

Under the enterprise agreement which expired in December 2022, a full-time adult employee would earn about $65,000 a year before tax.

Six Sovereign Hill management staff together earned $1.24m in 2021-22.