2025 AWU Honours Awards

2025 Campaigns of the Year

Snowy Hydro 2.0

Snowy Hydro 2.0 is one of the toughest and most high-profile tunnelling projects in Australia. As the AWU began negotiating a new EA, we focused on securing fair wages, safe working conditions, and recognition for the extraordinary challenges of the job. Multiple other unions were on site, but the AWU led negotiations, growing to over 1000 members and setting up a strong delegate structure in a short timeframe. Snowy members work in extreme environments, with 12-hour shifts underground, safety concerns, weeks away from home, and substandard camp conditions.

After a hard-fought campaign, including industrial action, the new EA delivered improved wages and conditions, with an up-front 8.5% pay rise, double-time for night shift, and stronger rostering provisions. Importantly, the EA also embedded improved safety standards and recognised the extreme risks of tunnelling work.

Wilmar Sugar 

Wilmar is the largest sugar manufacturer in Australia, operating eight mills and an ethanol plant in northern Queensland, but their workers are among the lowest paid in the industry. The campaign for a fair EA was long, and hard-fought. AWU members fought side-by-side with the AMWU and ETU to secure the victory. Workers took multiple days of industrial action and work bans, a fight that went to the full bench of the Fair Work Commission – which the AWU won!

AWU delegates and officials built overwhelming local support for the cause, including local councillors, mayors and canegrower association. The campaign made headlines across Australia and even in international newspapers.

Members fought hard, and eventually won a 16% wage increase over three years – a significant improvement on the company’s original 10.75% offer. Membership increased 41%, and pride in the AWU has never been higher. With negotiations set to start up again soon, the AWU is ready for the fight!

Highly Commended

DBCA Bush Firefighters

Our DBCA firefighters in WA secured an impressive 16.8% wage increase after a hard-fought campaign, including PIA!

GMCT Funeral Services

Funeral service workers in Victoria have been fighting for months for a fair EA – GMCT members will not be buried!

2025 Yossi Berger Safety Award

Snowy Hydro 2.0 HSRs

The HSR team at the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project have dedicated themselves to protecting their workmates at one of Australia’s most complex and hazardous construction projects.

Underground tunnelling is an inherently dangerous job, and the AWU sees too many contractors trying to cut corners, and put profits and productivity amongst workers’ safety. After two major incidences on the Snowy Hydro project, the team of HSRs said enough was enough!

In January 2025, the HSRs identified that underground refuge chambers were not being maintained to the required standard. This could have been fatal in the event of an underground emergency. The Snowy 2.0 HSRs led a collective stop work action until the company addressed the issue and restored the chambers to a safe condition.

Just a few weeks later, a major ventilation fan that had not been properly maintained exploded. Once again, the HSRs led a stop-work action, refusing to allow workers to return until the company took full rectification works.

The Snowy Hydro HSRs have set themselves up as a permanent group, making sure that the site is now one of the safest major construction projects in NSW.