A day after the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported annual inflation of 4.3% for September, workers on both sides of the public-private divide walked off the job, or prepared to, over pay offers they say do not keep pace with living costs.
Canberra: the biggest coordinated strike since 1989
About 1,000 ACT public sector workers gathered outside the ACT Legislative Assembly on Thursday 29 October for a two-hour strike, the ABC reported, in what it described as the largest coordinated strike since the territory gained self-government in 1989. Hospital, youth and construction workers took part, and correctional officers at the Alexander Maconochie Centre walked off the job for the first time.
The dispute centres on the ACT Government’s offer of a 3% pay rise a year for three years, with cost-of-living top-up payments in the second and third years linked to inflation. More than 63% of public servants on the core enterprise agreement voted against it, according to the ABC. Negotiations covering 16 enterprise agreements have run for more than a year. The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) wants 5% in the first year, then 4% and 3%.
“Workers have voted down the government’s pay offer in a historic no vote,” CPSU national secretary Rebecca Fawcett said. “It’s time for the Barr government to stop dragging this bargaining campaign out.”
ACT Public Service Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the government had “made a pay offer that is above projected inflation over the next three years,” adding that “the budget itself is experiencing additional pressure as a result of higher rates of inflation and interest.”
CPSU regional secretary Maddy Northam warned of more action if the offer does not improve: “They will take more industrial action, and it won’t be two hours next time, it will be more.”
Sydney Airport: pay, rosters and AI
In Sydney, the United Workers Union said security screening staff employed by contractor Certis Security planned two work stoppages at Kingsford Smith Airport on Friday 30 October, timed for the morning and afternoon peaks, after members voted down the company’s latest pay offer. The union warned passengers to expect delays at baggage checks, body scanning and security checkpoints.
As well as a pay rise and roster reform, the union is seeking a commitment that the growing use of AI, surveillance and automation will not cost jobs, and an “Airport Standard” setting minimum pay and conditions for security workers and cleaners at airports regardless of which contractor holds the work.
The union’s property services coordinator, Carl Ratana, said: “Every time a contract changes, workers are sent right back to square one when it comes to EBA negotiations. That’s why we are pushing for the Airport Standard.”
Why employers should take note
The two disputes have little in common on the surface, but both show the same pressure. When inflation runs above 4%, multi-year pay offers in the 3% range are a hard sell, and inflation-linked top-ups or one-off payments are becoming a standard feature of the negotiation. Employers heading into bargaining over the next year should expect workers to measure offers against the latest CPI print, and to push on job security as automation spreads.
Sources: ABC News (29 October 2026); United Workers Union statement as reported by On Notice (29 October 2026); Australian Bureau of Statistics.