Key facts
- Qantas airport workers began a 24-hour strike on Thursday at Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth airports.
- The Transport Workers' Union (TWU) stated the strike is over demands for higher pay, more secure jobs, and improved safety standards.
- Workers are seeking pay increases aligned with industry standards, more full-time positions, and integration of work groups under a single Qantas structure.
- Safety screeners at Sydney airport joined the strike with two sets of two-hour stoppages.
- TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine stated that strike action is a last resort due to workers being "maimed and killed".
- Qantas was previously ordered to pay a record A$90 million fine for illegally outsourcing jobs of over 1,800 ground workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Qantas airport workers initiated a 24-hour strike on Thursday across four major Australian airports, including Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The industrial action, organized by the Transport Workers' Union (TWU), involves staff from Qantas Ground Services (QGS), Australian Air Express (AAE) freight operations, and the regional carrier QantasLink.
The union's demands include pay increases aligned with industry standards, a greater number of full-time positions, and the consolidation of various work groups under a single Qantas structure. The TWU argues that the airline's use of multiple subsidiaries has fragmented the workforce and compromised safety standards.
In Sydney, up to 400 safety screeners were set to join the striking workers, conducting two separate two-hour stoppages and planning a further three-hour stoppage on September 28. TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine stated that strike action is a last resort, citing instances of workers being "maimed and killed" while performing critical services.
The union also criticized Qantas' labor practices, calling for a "fundamental reset" after years of cost-cutting measures. This follows a previous incident where Qantas outsourced the jobs of over 1,800 ground workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a move later deemed illegal by a court. The airline was subsequently ordered to pay a record A$90 million fine for this action.