We’re safer than insourcing, says Swissport amid union attacks

“Swissport has one of the best safety records of any specialist ground handling company in Australia as we have the hardest working and safety-conscious workforce in the country,” said Swissport Australia CEO Tony Filacouridis.

“This is why we are proud to say we have the lowest traffic safety infringement notices at major capital city airports compared to ground handler competitors.

“A recent Swissport staff engagement survey found an overwhelming majority of our employees believe that Swissport prioritises working safely.”

Swissport said its “rigorous global benchmarks” have resulted in a 56 per cent drop in recordable injuries over five years since it took over ground handling for many airlines; a 43 per cent reduction in lost time injuries over previous in-house operations; and a 75 per cent improvement in damage to Qantas aircraft.

“This means that specialist Swissport ground handling staff operate in a significantly safer workplace than historic airline insourced operations,” the firm said.

Additionally, according to Filacouridis, the current enterprise agreement has “pay and other conditions that are above the industry-wide award”.

VIEW ALL

>

“Our enterprise agreement was supported by Swissport employees and approved by the Fair Work Commission, providing a more favourable outcome compared to other ground handlers who pay according to the award,” he said.

The TWU held similar protests at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide Airports in March, saying “safety blitzes” had revealed issues with damaged equipment, unsafe staffing levels, heat injuries, and “intrusive worker surveillance”.

According to the union, Swissport has a “history of alarming safety issues impacting both on workers and the public”.

“Last year it was revealed some ports are receiving up to 400 safety reports a month at Swissport,” the TWU said at the time.

“The TWU has previously revealed other safety breaches at Swissport impacting on the public, from firearms being left on baggage carousels, passenger stairs removed from planes, and plane cargo doors left open.”

Filacouridis has dismissed the TWU’s Canberra protest as “a desperate pitch for new members, which the union is struggling to achieve”.

“At a time when global air travel and cargo are challenged by insecure fuel supplies, the rest of the aviation industry is seeking to work together to help airlines and the Australian travelling public,” he said.

“Swissport workers are proud of the safety culture they have created and the TWU is attempting to undermine them.”

Swissport customers in Australia and New Zealand include Batik Air, VietJet and LATAM. The company met with controversy when it won the bid for Qantas’ outsourced ground handling services in 2020, a decision which saw Qantas successfully sued in the High Court for the illegal sacking of around 1,700 ground workers.