Fair Work update – Metropolitan Melbourne multi-employer bargaining

03 June 2025

On 29 May the ASU attended the Fair Work Commission for a hearing on our multi-employer bargaining (MEB) application for ten councils: Brimbank, Darebin, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melbourne, Merri-bek, Port Phillip and Yarra.

The application is proceeding, with a further hearing to be scheduled after the current EAs have expired (after 4 July).

This is a huge blow to the councils that are opposing our application – they were seeking to have our MEB application dismissed by the commission. The FWC refused to dismiss the application and committed to further steps in the application in just a few weeks' time.

We note Greater Dandenong has respected the will of its workers and has consented to the MEB, and that Hobsons Bay is not actively opposing the application.

The bosses coordinated strategy of delay
The strategy has been well and truly exposed: the employers are seeking to delay the legal application to buy time as they coordinate a sector-wide campaign to undermine the wishes of workers. The employer playbook is now to rush through single enterprise agreement votes before the petitions can be considered by the Fair Work Commission, and/or undertake rushed employer ballots on whether to participate an MEB, without union participation.

This is evident with the ballot for a single enterprise agreement currently underway at Brimbank, and one at Darebin scheduled for coming weeks. We can expect Port Phillip and Yarra to follow suit as they have recently commenced single enterprise bargaining without union participation. Maribyrnong and Melbourne are currently running ballots on whether workers support an MEB – without union access to information sessions or communications.

At the same time as this coordinated strategy plays out, the employers are arguing to the Fair Work Commission that councils have no common interest and therefore an MEB isn’t appropriate in local government!