Guide Dogs Bargaining Update

Guide Dogs Bargaining Update

Thursday 2 July, 2026

Following last week's bargaining meeting, management has circulated its own communications about the negotiations. Members have reported that there has been unnecessary commentary directed towards employees who voted No in the recent Enterprise Agreement ballot.
 
Your vote was legitimate. Every employee had the right to vote for or against the proposed agreement, and the result made one thing clear: staff did not believe the offer was good enough.
 
That's why bargaining has resumed.
 
At last week's meeting, employee bargaining representatives—including your HSU delegates —presented a united position to management.
 
A fair and reasonable claim
 
Rather than pursuing new claims, bargaining representatives agreed to focus on securing a better wage outcome.
 
Our position is that the current offer of 3% per year does not adequately address the decline in real wages employees have experienced over the life of the current agreement.
Our claim is:
  • Year 1: 4.25%
  • Year 2: 4.0%
  • Year 3: 3.5%
  • Year 4: 3.25%
Protecting pay progression
 
Bargaining representatives also raised serious concerns about the proposed transition to the new pay structure.
 
Preliminary analysis suggests some employees could be financially worse off under the proposed pay point arrangements than if the current agreement remained in place. Your bargaining representatives have asked Guide Dogs to provide detailed information so these impacts can be properly assessed across all affected work groups.
 
What's next?
 
Guide Dogs has been asked to provide further financial and payroll information so bargaining can continue based on accurate information and proper costing of the claims.

The message from employees was clear when the proposed agreement was voted down: the offer wasn't good enough. Your bargaining representatives remain united in pursuing a fair wage outcome that recognises the work Guide Dogs employees do every day.
 
HSU members will be kept informed as bargaining progresses.
 

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