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About GWUThe 2024/25 Enterprise Agreement Campaign
A worker-led push, backed by the United Workers Union (UWU), that moved the process from “tick-the-box” consultation to real, enforceable improvements.
A campaign built by workers
The 2024–2025 Enterprise Agreement (EA) campaign at Grill’d was more than just meetings and votes. It was a sustained effort by Grill’d workers, supported by the United Workers Union (UWU) and Grill’d Workers United (GWU), to demand fair pay, better protections, and more stability in the workplace.
Where it started (May–Oct 2024)
May 2024 saw the first company briefings on a new EA. Workers listened, pressed for detail, and recognised familiar problems: “above award” headlines with the same gaps, unpaid overtime, missing weekend penalties, unstable rosters, and vague clauses that failed to protect people when it mattered.
In August, the SDA added delay and confusion by joining this process, contributing very little.
Throughout bargaining, Grill’d stonewalled workers and UWU representatives, refusing to meaningfully address concerns or make genuine improvements. Meetings became exercises in frustration rather than negotiation.
In October, a second round of meetings led into the vote (18–20 Oct). The proposal passed with a 93% “yes”.
A line in the sand (19 Oct 2024)
During the voting period, Grill’d workers at Flinders Lane led the first fast-food strike in Australian history. The strikes sent a message: workers expected a fair process and to be heard, not receive an outcome decided in advance for them.
The Fair Work Commission process (Jan–May 2025)
Between January and March 2025, hearings in Fair Work Commission tested whether the 2024 deal had been properly explained. The answer was clear: it hadn’t. In April, DP O’Neill said the agreement couldn’t be approved as-is and invited Grill’d to fix the defects.
In May, Grill’d returned with token amendments, incremental pay adjustments, and no structural repair. The Commission then dismissed the application, a pointed rejection of Grill'd's process.
Further Strike Action (June & July 2025)
Grill'd brought forward a second EA proposal, and again refused to listen to workers, claiming it was all sorted this time. As bargaining dragged, Grill’d workers again took coordinated action. This time, the movement expanded beyond a single store, spreading to several stores in Victoria, South Australia, and New South Wales, solidifying national momentum for change.
Those strikes underscored that a “new” EA needed to hear workers' complaints, and offer real protections, not recycled language. The EA "yes" vote suffered a massive 10% drop, in spite of workers having been under enormous pressure to accept it.
FWC Round Two - 2025 Enterprise Agreement
After the EA vote, the union signaled it would oppose the agreement at the Fair Work Commission. Through several hearings from August to October, the pressure from the union forced Grill'd to make real changes, including:
- Reconciliation clause - back-pay if pay falls below the Award (forever preventing workers from being paid below minimum wage).
- Ban on split shifts - preventing a rostering practice that would leave workers worse off.
On 17 October 2025, after the union dropped its opposition to the EA, the Fair Work Commission approved the new EA.
Learn More About the EA
To find out what the 2025 Enterprise Agreement means for you, check out Rights Hub.