For the first time in decades, union members at Arts Centre Melbourne (ACM) are taking protected industrial action.

Over the last month, workers have taken their campaign to audiences, leafleting patrons and opening a Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) performance with an announcement about pay and conditions.

Last week, union members stopped work for 30 minutes ahead of an MSO performance.

The action follows stalled wage negotiations between ACM management and members of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Community and Public Sector Union Victoria, and Electrical Trades Union.

More than 95 percent of union members voted in favour of protected industrial action.

Arts Centre Melbourne

Arts Centre Melbourne

According to the unions, ACM staff wages have fallen 10 percent behind inflation since 2022, while almost 40 percent of the workforce is paid at the minimum award rate. In line with the Victorian government’s wage cap, management has offered a 3 percent pay increase, but under current cost-of-living pressures, members argue this amounts to a cut in real wages.

The dispute is unfolding amid broader funding crises...