ETU members fought hard and won pay increases of 6% (back paid to 1 May 2026), 6%, 6% and 5.25% over a four-year agreement. They also secured five weeks’ annual leave, May Day as a paid day off and 26 weeks parental leave for the primary carer, with 4 weeks for the secondary carer.
Members showed up to protest outside the Micorsoft Data Centre Project in Kemp's Creek alongside our ‘Gary the grub’ inflatable to send a strong message to Stowe that its previous offers just weren’t good enough.
Many ETU members contributed to a fighting fund which helped support those members taking industrial action financially so they could continue to fight for a better deal.
“The electrical contracting sector has not seen protected industrial action like this in years,” said ETU Assistant Secretary Fred Barbin.
“Typically, agreements are reached at the bargaining table without the need for action, but this time members felt they had no choice but to stand together and make their position clear,” he said.
Members were also concerned about protecting existing conditions.
"Every drop of decency was fought for. You have to be involved, or things happen outside your reach and you can't change them,” said one ETU member at the final rally.
They began taking industrial action by taking stoppages of work and rallying, and while this resulted in some movement from the company, it was still far from presenting an offer that reflects the skills and great work that our members do every day. They were forced to escalate their protected industrial action to put more pressure on Stowe to finalise a deal.
Of the entitlements gained, five weeks annual leave was a very important one. Members are happy that they will now get a bit more time off in the year to spend with their family and friends, relieving some of the pressure of long hours and six days weeks they are commonly expected to undertake.
“ETU members taking Industrial action, was the key to this great outcome,” said ETU State Secretary Allen Hicks.
“A huge thank you to all members who contributed to the fighting fund. This is what being union is all about - supporting your brothers and sisters on the grass. For members at Stowe, knowing that they could access the fighting fund to put some food on the table and help pay some of the bills was a massive gamechanger. Having that level of support assisted these members to fight it out for the best possible deal,” said Allen.
This campaign, and the actions of ETU members throughout it, have sent a clear message across the construction industry: ETU members do not back down when fighting for a fair outcome. When you take on one of us, you take on all of us.
The determination shown throughout this campaign—and the outcome achieved—will set an important precedent, helping secure stronger outcomes for all members across the construction and contracting sector.