Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're starting to see the benefits of the secure work, better pay legislation that was introduced in 2022 and fought so hard for by the mighty Australian union movement. The objectives of some of that legislation were to get wages moving and to improve job security, with, also, a focus on the services sector. Now we are really starting to see the benefits in my home state of Victoria in the local government industry. I would really like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Australian Services Union local government workers who are, right now, making history with their multi-employer bargaining.

In metropolitan right Melbourne right now, workers are campaigning to negotiate the very first metropolitan multi-employer agreement. In December 2025, the Fair Work Commission gave them authorisation to bargain across eight councils in metropolitan Melbourne. They are Melbourne, Merri-Bek, Yarra, Darebin, Hume, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong and Dandenong. Five more councils will be eligible to join in the middle of the year. When negotiated, this agreement will cover more than 10,000 workers across metropolitan Melbourne, and 70 amazing delegates have been meeting to plan for a campaign to make their workplaces better and seize this historic opportunity.

These workers are following Victorian regional workers in local government who have actually achieved the first multi-employer agreement in local government in the country. Workers at Ararat and Central Goldfields councils have a multi-employer agreement, and I want to make a special shout out to the workers at Hepburn Shire Council. Libby, Evan and Scott, their amazing delegates, are out there this week, talking to their colleagues about an important vote to get them to join in that agreement. This agreement is important because it delivers job security and fair pay and conditions for workers who support our communities so well every single day, and I pay tribute to all of them.