Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) staff at Qantas Ground Services (QGS) – who support Qantas’ air freight and regional operations – will strike across Australia on 28 October because of a protracted contract negotiation.
TWU workers service most of Qantas’ freight and Sydney Airport-based regional flights. They will strike at the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth Airports, but not at the newly opened Western Sydney International Airport.
Qantas has contingency plans in place to manage TWU’s day-long strike, a company spokesperson told Lithos on 27 October. “There will be no [strike-related] disruptions to our customers,” they said.
But Qantas plans to prioritise critical and time-sensitive freight services during TWU’s strike, Lithos understands.
Australia Post – a Qantas air freight customer – also has detailed contingency plans in place and is working closely with partners to minimise the impact of any strike-related disruptions, a company spokesperson told Lithos on 27 October.
TWU workers 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.
They halted work at the Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth Airports on 24 September. But the strike did not meaningfully impact Sydney Airport-based regional services, Lithos has learned.
Qantas and TWU have been locked in Fair Work Commission-facilitated (FWC) negotiations for months, but disagree over a wide range of wage and employment-condition proposals.
“[Workers] are calling for fair pay in line with industry standards, ... more full-time jobs and hours, and [staff] to be brought back under one Qantas banner [for safety reasons],” the union said on 23 October.
TWU workers will soon vote on a contract proposal that includes pay rises of up to 26% over four years, back pay, more full-time roles, and guaranteed part-time hours, Lithos understands. Qantas tabled the proposal at an FWC-facilitated meeting in September.
“[Qantas remains] committed to reaching agreements with our employees that deliver substantial pay increases and reflect the priorities they have told us are important to them,” a company spokesperson said on 27 October.
By Avinash Govind