Dozens of workers from Australian councils have walked off the job today as part of an ongoing pay dispute. The action involves staff members from the Melbourne council areas of Hume, Darebin, and Merri-bek, who are participating in a stop-work ban. This means that bins in these regions will not be collected. Additionally, parking enforcement has been paused in Yarra, Maribyrnong, and Melbourne.
The Australian Services Union (ASU) is leading the strike action, and the union states that the bans are not meant to “inconvenience citizens” but rather to demonstrate the crucial role that workers play in maintaining the health and cleanliness of neighborhoods. It is expected that the industrial action will last for 24 hours, but further actions could occur if an agreement cannot be reached. The union is requesting an additional 10 per cent pay rise for workers in the first year, followed by four per cent increases in subsequent years.
Councils tell residents to ‘bring back’ bins
On Tuesday morning, bins across several council areas were left uncollected, with the union reporting that 17,000 bins in the Hume area alone were untouched. Hume City Council acknowledged the action was “frustrating” and apologised for the inconvenience experienced by residents.
“Council is continuing to negotiate in good faith with all unions representing our staff,” the council shared online. “If your bin is not collected, there’s no need to report it to Council. Please bring it back onto your property and put it out again on your next scheduled collection day.”
A worker for Hume’s litter and dumped rubbish team, Brendan, described his job as “yucky” but still “loves” it. He said, “It’s so rewarding at the end of the day after you’ve picked up something and cleaned up the streets for the residents.” However, he feels he is getting “poorer and poorer.”
“When I started five years ago, I used to be able to save money, but now I can’t even afford to live,” he said.
Australian Services Union Victoria and Tasmania branch secretary Tash Wark previously described the action as “the biggest strike local government has ever seen.” The ASU argues that many council workers have suffered a 7 to 12 per cent cut in real wages since 2021 due to the state government’s rate capping.
“Local government workers are done being left behind,” Wark previously said. “The cost of living is skyrocketing, but your pay isn’t. We’re not just pushing back, we are fighting back big.”
Council road maintenance worker Craig told the Herald Sun that while he was keen to keep council rates down, he and his colleagues were struggling just to feed their families.
“All we asked for is a level playing field,” he said.
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Union says action is necessary to achieve pay increase
In a statement delivered via the ASU website, the union said collective action was necessary to achieve wage increases of up to 10 per cent. “The Fair Work Commission authorised the multi-employer bargaining process in December 2025,” the eight councils said in a joint statement. “Since then, councils and unions have been preparing for negotiations, including appointing an independent chair to oversee bargaining meetings.”
“The first formal discussions are expected in the coming weeks — and it is too early to comment on negotiations or any potential industrial action.”
