Mental Health Workers Strike in Melbourne: A Call for Fair Pay and Improved Conditions Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals

On June 17, 2025, approximately 800 mental health workers in Victoria, Australia, initiated a strike and rally in Melbourne. The action was taken in opposition to a proposed enterprise agreement by the Labor government, which threatens to reduce real wages and fails to address critical challenges faced by staff and patients in the mental health sector. This report highlights the workers’ demands and the broader implications for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Key Issues Raised by Mental Health Workers

1. Pay Inequity and Wage Cuts
   • Allied health staff report earning up to $30,000 less annually than nurses performing identical roles.
   • Team leaders in allied health receive lower pay than the staff they manage due to classification disparities.
   • Unpaid overtime and lack of reimbursement for work-related expenses exacerbate financial strain.
2. Workplace Conditions and Staffing Shortages
   • High workloads with missed breaks and extended hours are common.
   • Chronic understaffing leads to increased risk for clients and overburdened emergency departments.
   • Vacancies remain unfilled years after funding commitments, undermining service delivery.
3. Recognition and Respect for Allied Health Professionals
   • Government policies appear to create divisions between nursing and allied health staff.
   • Allied health professionals emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary teams for effective mental health care.
   • Calls for equitable pay scales and career development opportunities across all mental health roles.
4. Administrative Burdens
   • Excessive paperwork and key performance indicators reduce time available for clinical care.
   • Need for increased administrative support and funded graduate programs to attract and retain allied health workers.

Voices from the Frontline

• Kate, Allied Health Staff Member: Advocates for pay parity to prevent loss of skilled allied health workers, emphasizing the risk to community mental health services and client safety.
• Metropolitan Hospital Social Worker: Highlights the necessity of equal pay and the value of diverse expertise within multidisciplinary teams for comprehensive mental health care.
• Katie, Nurse: Supports allied health colleagues and stresses the impact of understaffing on patient care and the need for adequate funding to fill promised positions.
• Joe, Metropolitan Mental Health Unit Staff: Describes financial pressures on workers and calls for united industrial action to demand fair wages and improved workplace conditions.
• Matt, Social Worker with Juvenile Offenders: Focuses on the need for equity, recognition, and reduction of administrative workload to enhance clinical effectiveness and workforce sustainability.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • Ensuring equitable pay and safe working conditions for mental health workers supports the delivery of quality mental health services.
  • Addressing staffing shortages and improving multidisciplinary collaboration enhances patient outcomes and community health.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Fair remuneration and recognition of all health professionals promote decent work and economic security.
  • Reducing unpaid overtime and providing adequate resources align with sustainable employment practices.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  • Closing pay gaps between allied health and nursing staff addresses workplace inequalities.
  • Supporting diverse roles within mental health care fosters inclusive and equitable work environments.

Conclusion and Recommendations

1. Implement Pay Parity: Governments and employers should ensure equal pay for equal work across all mental health professions to retain skilled staff and promote fairness.
2. Increase Funding and Staffing: Fulfill commitments to fund and fill vacant positions to reduce workload pressures and improve patient care quality.
3. Enhance Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Recognize and support the diverse expertise of allied health professionals within mental health teams.
4. Reduce Administrative Burdens: Provide adequate administrative support and streamline reporting requirements to allow more focus on clinical work.
5. Promote Sustainable Workforce Development: Invest in graduate programs and career development opportunities to attract and retain mental health workers.

The mental health workers’ strike in Melbourne underscores the urgent need to address systemic issues in the sector. Aligning policy responses with the Sustainable Development Goals can foster a more equitable, effective, and sustainable mental health system that benefits workers and the communities they serve.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article focuses on mental health workers, their working conditions, and the impact on mental health services, directly relating to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • The issues of pay parity, fair wages, working hours, and labor rights for mental health workers connect to promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The demand for pay equity between allied health professionals and nurses highlights efforts to reduce inequalities within the workforce.
4. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • While not explicitly mentioned, the health and social work sectors often have significant female representation, and issues of pay equity and working conditions are relevant to gender equality.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Target 3.c: Substantially increase health financing and recruitment, development, training, and retention of the health workforce in developing countries.
2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • Target 8.8: Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
4. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Indicator for SDG 3
   • Proportion of health workers per 1,000 population (implied by discussion of staffing shortages and vacancies).
   • Coverage of mental health services and patient outcomes (implied by references to patients waiting in emergency departments and lack of support).
2. Indicators for SDG 8
   • 8.5.1: Employment rate (implied by staffing levels and vacancy rates).
   • 8.5.2: Unemployment rate by sex, age and persons with disabilities (implied by workforce composition concerns).
   • 8.5.1 and 8.8.1: Average hourly earnings of employees, by sex, age and persons with disabilities (directly related to pay parity demands).
   • 8.8.1: Frequency rates of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries (implied by references to workplace pressure and unsafe working conditions).
3. Indicators for SDG 10
   • 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50% of median income, by age, sex and persons with disabilities (implied by wage disparities and financial hardship).
4. Indicators for SDG 5
   • 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions (implied by discussions of pay and leadership opportunities).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wsws.org