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Qantas ground handlers will strike for 24 hours next week against what they say are attempts to “suppress wages and smash conditions”.
Workers at Qantas Ground Services (QGS) and Australian Air Express (AAE) will walk off the job in Victoria on Wednesday and the rest of the country on Thursday, with the Transport Workers’ Union decrying what it labels as “corporate greed on steroids”.
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“Qantas will tell you that it has changed, but workers and passengers know better: this is an industry in crisis. In Sydney planes are almost colliding, critical services are horrendously understaffed, and workers are being killed and injured,” said TWU national secretary Michael Kaine.
“This action comes just over a year after a Qantas Freight worker was tragically killed on Father’s Day, with Qantas taking no concrete steps to fix a revolving door of casual, insecure work which has led to shocking safety failures.
“Workers do not take this action lightly. Any disruption to freight, including Australia Post shipments sits solely at the feet of Qantas management and its brutal disregard for customers and the workforce.
“These workers have been left with no alternative. Right across the Qantas supply chain, workers are being injured or killed by just doing their jobs. They want to see a return to when working for the flying kangaroo was something to be proud of.”
Qantas’ QGE and AAE agreements cover around 700 employees who largely work on Qantas Freight, and on QantasLink services at Sydney Airport. Only members of the TWU are eligible to take the protected industrial action, which was overwhelmingly supported in a ballot last month.
In a statement, a Qantas spokesperson told Australian Aviation the airline “remains committed to reaching an agreement with our Qantas Ground Services employees that includes annual pay rises for our people”.
“We have well developed contingency plans to minimise any impact on QantasLink customers and our operation,” the spokesperson said.
“Discussions through the Fair Work Commission have been constructive and negotiations are continuing.
“Our focus is on an agreement that addresses what employees have told us matters most, including pay and more full-time opportunities.”
Qantas is continuing to meet with the TWU to resolve the dispute.
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