Australian influencers threaten to 'go on strike' and stop posting content as they start a union
Veronica B, known for her skits about Middle Eastern stereotypes, took to the stage at the AIIMS Creator Hub in Sydney on Wednesday night with her demands.
She said she 'doesn't know how the world would survive' without influencers, and moaned she was 'sick and tired' of being treated 'like a joke'.
'I'm sick and tired of us influencers being treated like we're a joke... We deserve more rights and we deserve to be taken seriously,' she said.
Veronica, who has 578,500 followers on TikTok, was cheered on by 100 other influencers as she said it was 'hard work' being an influencer.
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'As content creators and influencers, I don't know how this world would survive. How would people know where to eat if we didn't do restaurant reviews?' she continued.
'How would people know how to do their makeup if we didn't do Get Ready With Me videos? How would people know what to wear if we didn't do outfit hauls.
'I've decided to start an Australian Influencer Union.'
Other fellow content creators have voiced their support for Veronica online.
Dani Russell, who boasts 700,000 TikTok followers, uploaded a video questioning what was harder: being a mother or a creator.
Sydney-based creator Jasmin Mitwali claimed influencers work even harder than doctors and teachers.
'Honestly I do [work harder]. You literally have to stay relevant, come up with content all the time, film, do the work behind-the-scenes,' she said.
It comes after Veronica was slammed in December 2024 for saying it was 'hard work' being an influencer.
She found herself in hot water after an interview at the Sydney TikTok Awards went viral.
The comedian was asked about her line of work as she posed on the red carpet moments after arriving at the awards show in a Rolls Royce.
'I know it looks fun but it's hard work,' Veronica said of her influencing gig.
'You have to think of content, you have to edit it, you have to film it, you have to be constantly relevant and that is not easy.'
Veronica was quickly slammed for being 'out of touch' by viewers of the viral clip.
'I'm just coming home from a 13-hour shift, on my feet for 11 of those 13, but damn this must have been hard! Praying for you,' one woman wrote.
'I think the disconnect may be between a job being "hard" and "taking time". Even if it takes time to edit film etc, it's not necessarily "hard" work,' another wrote.
'Finished my 12-hour night shift and am about to start my next shift four hours later but this must have been so hard for you,' a third commented.
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