NSW: Star City staff vote in favour of 24 hour strike

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2000
NSW: Star City staff vote in favour of 24 hour strike

SYDNEY, April 12 AAP - Croupiers, security guards and bar attendants would walk off
the job at Sydney's Star City Casino at the weekend, effectively shutting down operations,
a union said today.

Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union assistant national secretary Tim
Ferrari said staff voted today in favour of the 24-hour strike after a breakdown in pay
negotiations.

Staff voted to strike from 4am Saturday to 4am Sunday, he said.

A Star City Casino spokeswoman said the strike would affect the casino's busiest period,
but she denied it would shut down its operations.

"We are not expecting it to have a big impact on business, but of course we are making
contingency plans," she said.

Staff union meetings had been poorly attended, she said.

Casino management believed the number of staff involved in strike action would be minimal.

However Mr Ferrari said 1,800 staff were expected to take part in the strike, effectively
paralysing casino operations.

"The casino's response so far has been typical, that they don't believe it is going
to close the place down."

"Staff in gaming, hotel, food and beverage, security, maintenance, the lot, will walk
out," he said.

"That's going to make it very inconvenient for the casino."

Management had offered staff a pay increase of 8.75 per cent over three years, but
staff are asking for 15 per cent over two years.

Mr Ferrari said negotiations over the pay claim had continued for three months with
management's offer regarded by staff as inadequate.

"The company walked out of negotiations last Wednesday.

"There's been a delay in these negotiations for three months."

"The members believe they are being buggered around with their claim so they are showing
that they are serious."

AAP nd/maur/rs/bwl

KEYWORD: CASINO

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