Low-paid workers were among more than 100,000 people who took to the streets, shutting down parts of Melbourne for a national union rally calling for a "fair go".
The demonstration on Wednesday blocked multiple city streets as it weaved from union headquarters to Parliament House.
Unions say the federal government has overseen the largest decline in living standards in 30 years and workers rallied in 14 centres across the nation.
Cleaner and United Voice member Olisa Heard said she'd been working for 13 years, but her job was forever insecure because she was working for contractors.
"The contractors treat us like dirt because this government don't care for us lowly-paid workers, this government were the ones who dissolved our weekend penalty rates," she told the crowd.
"If we get a pay increase with one company they lose the contract to a cheaper company because whoever bids the lower tender gets the contract ... so our wages don't go up."
She said over the years she had seen cuts to staff, hours and pay, and the uncertainty over income was having a detrimental effect on her family, including her husband's mental health.
Recent strike action by Chemist Warehouse employees brought an improvement to working conditions, National Union of Workers delegate Rebecca said.
"As inflation continues to rise, so too must our wages, it is our hard work, blood, sweat and sometimes tears that helped bring to fruition the huge success and growth of these large companies," she told the rally.
"We have been slowly manipulated into believing we do not have a voice and no one will care.
"We stand united to show our government, these monster corporations and companies that we are woke - today our voices will be heard."
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also marched.
"People are angry, they're out on the streets, they're out in force but they're campaigning for something very simple - a fair go," Mr Andrews told reporters.
"I am proud to be here."
Mr Andrews used the rally to back his federal Labor counterpart Bill Shorten in the upcoming national election.
