This article reviews the year across collective bargaining, union policy and strategy, as well as industrial responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the industrial environment rebounded slightly from the initial impact of the pandemic in 2020, similar themes persisted throughout 2021, including declining coverage of employees under collective agreements, a difficult bargaining environment in ‘essential’ industries, limited cooperation of the industrial relations parties during developments in the pandemic response and a continued pattern of low wages growth. While trade unions achieved isolated ‘wins’ on key matters, at a system level there continues to be enduring issues of low wages, insecure work and frustrations with the collective bargaining system, while the nation attempts to recover from the impact of the pandemic.