Source : Perth Now news
Chaos looms at Australia’s major airports as the unions step up their industrial action across the country.
On Thursday, Sydney airport could be thrown into disarray as up to 400 security staff stop work in two separate two-hour windows.
At the same time, Qantas ground staff across its freight and Link services will walk off the job for 24 hours across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth.
Qantas says these strikes specifically will not cause any delays, with contingency plans in place.
In a statement, Sydney Airport told NewsWire there could be delays due to the industrial action.
“We recommend passengers travelling tomorrow allow extra time and stay alert for messages from their airline,” a spokesperson said.
TWU national secretary Michael Kaine told NewsWire there could be delays for some passengers, but the unions were acting responsibly.
“There will be disruption tomorrow, that is in a sense the consequence of having to take industrial action,” he said.
“It is not ever taken lightly by workers, it is a significant moment in time to stand up and withdrawing your labour unless you really have to and these workers have to.”
‘Enough is enough’
In the first major strike, hundreds of Qantas ground workers will strike for 24 hours tomorrow at Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth Airports, with workers from Qantas subsidiaries QGS, AAE and QantasLink demanding an urgent reset on pay, job security and safety.
There will be an estimated 500 workers who will walk off the job.
The TWU has taken aim at Qantas’ company structure, which has split its workforce up into 38 companies – 17 internal and 21 external suppliers – which they claim becomes a race to the bottom as each of these subsidies compete for contracts.
Before 2007, all of Qantas’ workforce was engaged by a single corporate entity.
Mr Kaine said workers wanted a “reset”.
“These workers at Qantas are making a stand for the first time in a very long time,” he said.
“They want the community to understand that Qantas hasn’t changed and it continues this Joyce era tactic of splintering work into different subsidiaries.
“All of which Qantas owns wholly, they are pitted in competition with each for the express purpose of driving down standards and rates so that Qantas can keep as much as the profit is possible.”
Mr Kaine said the workers were saying enough is enough.
“It is a sham competition all within the Qantas work group so there is downward spiral of wages and conditions, that is what these workers are fighting back against,” he said.
Qantas reported a statutory profit after tax of $1.29bn for the 2026 financial year, down 20 per cent from the previous year.
Qantas has been contacted for comment.
Security workers stand down for two hours
At the same time, up to 400 Certis security staff at Sydney Airport will conduct two sets of two-hour stoppages on Thursday,
The strike follows an overwhelming 99 per cent yes vote to take legally protected industrial action by workers.
The TWU is calling on Sydney Airport, which contracts Certis, to offer cent wages and reliable jobs at Australia’s busiest airport.
“We’ve got a company out there Certis, with workers saying we are being left out here, our terms and conditions are through the floor,” Mr Kaine said.
“You keep holding over us as an airport that unless we get our enterprise agreement done quickly and on terms and conditions that are too low, you will send the contracts elsewhere.
“It is like corporate blackmail in a way and when you are a monopoly operator and you can do basically whatever you want with anyone on your premise – as airports have done with carparking fees- then you have incredible powers.”
In a statement to NewsWire, Certis said they valued their people and recognised the essential contribution they made to aviation security, safety and regulatory compliance.
“Our employees who work at Sydney Airport and are covered by the current enterprise agreement receive pay and conditions that, when assessed as a whole, are materially above those provided under the relevant industry award,” Certis said.
“Their pay rates are also among the highest for comparable aviation security roles in Australia.”
