Arts Centre Melbourne workers will take protected 24-hour industrial action on Friday in a dispute over pay, working conditions and government funding for the arts sector.

Members of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), alongside colleagues from the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), will cease work from 12.01am on 11 September after enterprise bargaining negotiations failed to produce an offer they say adequately addresses a significant decline in real wages.

The action is expected to affect venue operations and programming, including Friday night’s scheduled concert by US singer Macy Gray and performances of GRIMM by Brisbane theatre company Shake & Stir.

A picket line will be established outside Hamer Hall from 3.30pm, followed by a rally at 6pm.
MEAA Deputy Chief Executive Adam Portelli said workers had been left with no choice but to escalate their campaign.

Arts Centre Melbourne. Photo © David Simmons.

“Workers are at a point where they simply can’t afford to accept another agreement that leaves them falling behind,” Portelli said.

Almost 40 percent of the Arts Centre Melbourne workforce is employed on the lowest pay band under the current agreement, with wages having fallen significantly behind inflation in recent years, according to the union.

Portelli said the dispute was also about the future of Arts Centre Melbourne and government investment in the cultural sector.

“Without proper funding, Arts Centre Melbourne cannot continue delivering the high-quality experiences Victorian audiences expect,” he said.

MEAA said further protected industrial action remained possible if negotiations continued to stall and a satisfactory agreement was not reached.

The strike action does not affect the nearby Melbourne Recital Centre.

Read more here.