Ferry workers acted after 17 bargaining meetings
Brisbane ferry workers took 24-hour protected industrial action on 27 August 2026, with unions linking the stoppage to wages, fatigue, meal breaks and other workplace conditions.
Members of the Maritime Union of Australia and the Australian Maritime Officers Union joined the action against RiverCity Ferries, which runs Brisbane’s ferry services under contract to Brisbane City Council.
The workers perform safety-critical roles on a public transport service that carries passengers across the city every day of the year, including weekends, storms and public holidays.
After 17 bargaining meetings, RiverCity Ferries declared its latest Enterprise Agreement offer “final” and tried to put it to a workforce vote without support from the MUA, AMOU, delegates or members, according to the unions.
Further industrial action is planned.
MUA Queensland Branch organiser Jaiden Simpson said ferry workers were standing up for “basic standards that should be non-negotiable in a safety-critical industry”.
Claims cover pay, leave and weather protections
The workers are seeking a 6% pay rise in Year One, followed by 4.75% or the Fair Work Commission increase, whichever is greater.
They also want backpay from the expiry of the current agreement, paid parental leave, proper protections for heat and inclement weather, a 12-hour break between shifts and a meal break increase from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
RiverCity Ferries’ current offer provides 4.75% in the first year, followed by the Fair Work Commission increase in later years, according to the union.
Rosters and meal breaks remain key issues
Workers now receive only about 10 hours and five minutes between shifts, the union says. Irregular rosters also require multiple start times and locations.
Meal breaks are another dispute. Although crews are nominally given a 30-minute break, only about 20 minutes is guaranteed because crew changes must happen within that period.
A 45-minute break would give crews time to complete the changeover and board every third ferry, according to the union’s case.
Simpson said RiverCity Ferries was presenting legal minimum conditions as if they were new benefits and was trying to push through a substandard deal.
He said the union would keep taking action until the company returned to serious bargaining over fatigue, rosters and safety.
