Thousands of hotel and casino employees will start receiving above-inflation pay rises and extra allowances from next year that recognise the sacrifices of working in an around-the-clock workplace.
Following a long battle for better pay for weekend night and "graveyard" shift workers, Crown Melbourne has agreed to give out new twice-yearly "recognition allowances" to all 5500 staff covered by its union agreement.
The deal, struck this month, is being hailed by many as a major win, and comes as the wider issue of weekend wages remains at the centre of a tense industrial relations debate nationally.
Australia's Fair Work Commission is expected to be just weeks away from delivering a highly anticipated ruling on whether to overhaul Sunday penalty rates in several industries, including for low-paid staff in retail, fast food and hospitality.
Crown Melbourne's unionised workers – including games dealers, cage and count staff, hotel workers, restaurant workers and security guards – have spent months feuding with management over the terms of a new wage deal, with weekend pay believed to have been the biggest sticking point in negotiations.
They had initially been calling for an allowance of up to $3 an hour to be paid for all work that falls between 7pm and 7am on weekends, but ultimately agreed to Crown's offer of the "recognition allowances" to be paid twice a year to all employees, each payment amounting to an extra 0.5 per cent of their overall earnings.
"Working at Crown often means working shifts; late nights or early mornings, on weekends and on public holidays," casino union United Voice told its members in a bulletin.
"Winning recognition from Crown for this was a crucial part of our campaign."
The deal, approved by more than 90 per cent of Crown staff who voted earlier this month, also contains above-inflation pay rises of 3.75 per cent a year for the next three years, the introduction of paid domestic violence leave and other improvements surrounding annual leave and career progression, the union said.
The endorsement brings to a close the months-long industrial spat at Crown Melbourne – the state's largest single-site employer – that spilled out into the streets in a series of public protests in Southbank and the CBD in recent months.
United Voice state secretary Jess Walsh said the outcome was a "landmark agreement".
"It delivers strong pay rises, job security and more full-time jobs at Crown ... it values Crown staff for their shift work, and it builds new career paths," she said.
"You can win good jobs in the growing service sector, as long as you're willing to fight for it."
Matt Poynter, a Crown table games dealer and union delegate, said the job came with significant sacrifices. The 38-year-old works from 8pm until 4am most nights, including weekends, while his girlfriend works normal hours.
"We miss the general life events that the normal 9-5 people take for granted," he said.
Nearly three quarters of staff surveyed by United Voice had missed out on Christmas and family and friends' weddings, and about 80 per cent had missed important birthdays. Union officials estimate Crown staff, on average, have to work 40 weekends a year.
Instead of paying weekend and overnight penalty rates, Crown pays its staff higher rates for all hours of work.
Under existing pay rates, a grade-2 food and beverage attendant earns $24 an hour, or nearly $48,000 a year. A first-year table games dealer earns $26 an hour, about $51,000 a year, while a dealer with five years' experience earns $64,000.