Unionised workers at Qantas Ground Services (QGS) – who support Qantas’ air freight and regional operations – will strike for 24 hours next week over an ongoing contract negotiation.
Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) workers in Victoria will launch a day-long strike on 23 September, and their colleagues across the rest of Australia will strike on 24 September, the TWU said on 18 September.
TWU workers support Qantas’ air freight services and Sydney-based QantasLink services, Lithos understands. They can launch an unlimited number of day-long work stoppages, indefinite overtime bans, indefinite freight sorting bans, and indefinite training bans under a 27 August strike authorisation.
“Workers do not take [strike] action lightly. Any disruption to freight, including Australia Post shipments, sits solely at the feet of Qantas management,” TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said.
“[Qantas remains] committed to reaching an agreement with our [QGS] employees that includes annual pay rises for our people,” a company spokesperson told Lithos on 18 September. “We have well-developed contingency plans to minimise any impact on QantasLink customers and our operation,” they added.
Qantas and TWU have been locked in Fair Work Commission-facilitated (FWC) negotiations for months, but disagree over a range of wage and employment condition proposals. “Discussions through the [FWC] have been constructive, and negotiations are continuing,” a Qantas spokesperson told Lithos.
“Our focus is on an agreement that addresses what employees have told us matters most, including pay and more full-time opportunities,” the spokesperson said.
“QGS workers are calling for job security, a fair pay rise after years of wage freezes … and for … scattered work groups to be brought back together under a single Qantas banner,” the union said on 1 September.
Qantas previously agreed to table a contract proposal at an FWC-facilitated meeting on 18 September, Lithos understands.
By Avinash Govind