NRMA roadside assist Patrol staff want a 17 per cent pay rise over four years
Motorists will need to be extra careful about flat batteries and tyres, this week as members of the NRMA Patrol go on strike and escalate their first industrial action in 23 years after talks with the group failed to yield any results.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union NSW and ACT said 210 NRMA Patrol members will begin a 48-hour work stoppage from Sunday to demand a fair pay agreement.
“This will be the third round of NRMA industrial action this year, following six months of corporate bargaining,” AMWU said.
“AMWU is working to ensure that the safety of workers and the public is prioritized during and after the work stoppage.”
NRMA Patrols staff are planning to rally in Town Hall Square on Monday to press their demands for a 17 per cent pay rise over four years. It is the first strike since a 24-hour strike by nearly 400 NRMA station staff in NSW in 2002. This was their first in 75 years.
An NRMA spokesman said not all patrols would take part in industrial action and that there were contingency arrangements in place involving those staff, as well as contractors and providers, to minimize disruption.
“We are determined to continue services to our members during this period,” he said.
“NRMA will maintain open and constructive dialogue in good faith as both parties work towards a solution. We respect the right of every union member to decide to engage in protected industrial action.”
The NRMA is currently led by interim chief executive Carolyn Darke, who has led the organization since October when Rohan Lund left to become chief executive of Southern Cross Media, which has just announced that more than 300 staff will lose their jobs.
Cricket Australia chairman and former NSW premier Mike Baird will take over as chairman in August.
“I am thrilled to join an organization with such a proud history and dedicated to delivering value and excellence to its 3.5 million members,” Baird said when his role was announced in April.
“This opportunity comes at an important time for the NRMA, where we are focusing on how we continue to build a modern, sustainable partnership connecting motoring, travel and rewards, while advocating for the needs and safety of NSW motorists.”
The group generated more than $978 million in revenue and made a profit of $19.7 million in 2025, according to its annual report. During this period, a total of $5.4 million was paid to senior executives and board members.
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Colin Kruger is senior business correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers.Connect via email.
