AVIATION GROUND WORKERS IN QANTAS SUPPLY CHAIN TO TAKE 24-HOUR STRIKE ACTION FOR DECENT JOB SECURITY AND PAY

Over 1000 aviation workers will strike next Wednesday for 24 hours as pressure mounts on Qantas to restore fair wages and conditions in its supply chain. Progress on negotiations with dnata ramp and cargo have stalled with the company refusing decent improvements on rostering, job security and pay, and indicating it will make no further concessions in emergency bargaining today.

After twice voting down sub-standard offers from dnata, workers are fighting to rebuild decent jobs in ground handling after a decade of cost-cutting and deliberate dismantling of good jobs by Qantas which has left the sector low paid, highly casualised and unable to attract and maintain workers.

The strikes, which will affect ramp, cargo and baggage operations across Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA and NT, come as hundreds of Qantas network pilots in three states also consider industrial action, calling for pay to match industry standards and decent rostering conditions to protect work-life balance.

Workers are calling for decent wages that keep up with the cost of living and allow them to stay in the industry, as well as fairer rosters and increases to hours for job security. They’re also pushing for consultation rights and clear commitments around working conditions for Western Sydney International work, so wages and conditions don’t fall further behind when work at the new airport commences.

Dnata is one of the main recipients of cut-cost ground handling contracts from Qantas after the company illegally outsourced 1700 workers. As a result, wages and minimum hours for workers getting Qantas planes off the ground have been slashed and suppressed.

With companies like Swissport—which has received numerous complaints from Qantas despite the airline’s defence of its illegal outsourcing—now receiving work, workers are calling for dnata to join an industry push to hold companies like Swissport and Qantas to account for fair standards.

TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said dnata could still come forward with a fair offer to avert strike action over the busy Christmas period.

“Dnata workers have been forced to the point of taking strike action because we have a broken aviation industry. They’re struggling to stay in aviation with low pay, overuse of part time jobs and not enough guaranteed hours, as well as poor rostering and ongoing payroll issues that prevents decent work-life balance.

“We can’t risk seeing dnata become another of those companies joining the downwards spiral driven by Qantas’ approach that preferences bottom-feeders of the industry like Swissport. Workers are saying enough is enough: it’s time for decent standards to keep people in the industry and attract more workers into the future. Dnata should join that push to lift up the industry instead of joining the race to the bottom, but the responsibility lies as much with Qantas here to rebuild the jobs it destroyed and pay its fair share.

“Soon we’re going to see the opening of a major new airport in Australia. This will be the largest creation of aviation jobs in decades. These workers are also calling for the company to guarantee fair wages and conditions are also guaranteed at Western Sydney International.

“We’re going to continue to see a skills drain at our airports without decent, secure aviation jobs. It’s not just workers who will suffer but the travelling public who used to be able to depend on decent standards. We need a Safe and Secure Skies Commission to ensure exploitative companies like Swissport are held to account by making Qantas pay its fair share.”