Screen Australia staff have voted overwhelmingly in favour (105 for, one against) their new Enterprise Agreement, which improves pay, parental leave and brings all staff under one set of rates and conditions. The agreement, which the Alliance has been negotiating since the beginning of the year, has now gone to Fair Work Australia for final approval and once this process is complete, staff will receive their 3.5 per cent pay rise. Congratulations to all Alliance members who worked with their union throughout the long negotiation process.

Following months of negotiations, a new collective agreement for the Melbourne Recital Centre was signed off on last week. The Alliance has secured significant improvements to the “time off in lieu” provisions for production staff, who have been working 16 hour days without adequate compensation. Under the new agreement, if a production member works beyond 10 hours, Sundays or public holidays they will accrue toil at double time. The Agreement will now go to the state government for approval and then be returned to staff for a final vote before it is lodged with Fair Work Australia.

The Alliance has written to Minister for Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, calling for a meeting to discuss the state of the Sydney Opera House. “Postponing the decision to fix up the house does not mean money will never need to be spent on it – it just means that, at some stage, more money will need to be spent. And in the meantime, Australia’s creative community who work within the house are forced to work in substandard and, indeed, dangerous conditions.”  Read our letter in full here.