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Arts
Liz Hobday

Arts worker protest is a show stopper at theatres venue

Industrial action by Arts Centre Melbourne workers has forced changes for a number of shows. (Christopher Hopkins/AAP PHOTOS)

A protest is under way at one of Australia's biggest performing arts venues over stalled pay negotiations.

Union members at Arts Centre Melbourne kicked off a 24-hour strike on Friday, prompting three performances at the venue to be cancelled or postponed.

Grammy award winner Macy Gray's Friday night performance at Hamer Hall has been postponed until October.

Strike ad at the Melbourne Arts Centre during industrial action
The Arts Centre Melbourne has been hit by industrial action over a pay dispute. (Christopher Hopkins/AAP PHOTOS)

Nearing the end of its run at Fairfax Studio, Shake & Stir Theatre Co's fairytale adaptation GRIMM has been cancelled, as has dance spectacle Burn the Floor: Luminous in the Playhouse.

Ticket holders were being contacted directly, a spokesperson for Arts Centre Melbourne said.

Union members recently rejected a below-inflation pay offer of three per cent, according to the Community and Public Sector Union.

"The decision to interrupt Macy Gray's show has not been made lightly - but we are left with no choice until the government funds the Arts Centre properly," the union's Victorian secretary Jiselle Hanna said.

Melbourne Arts Centre workers during industrial action
Workers at the arts centre have rejected a below-inflation pay offer of a three per cent increase. (Christopher Hopkins/AAP PHOTOS)

Almost 40 per cent of the Arts Centre workforce is on the lowest pay band with many on minimum wage, according to the union.

A Victorian government spokesperson told AAP it respected workers' rights to take protected industrial action and it hoped the matter could be resolved soon.

"We thank ticket holders for their patience as Arts Centre Melbourne works closely with their staff and unions to progress a new agreement,” they said.

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