Qantas strikes to impact 6,000 passengers, 28 flights cancelled

Around 6,000 air travellers will have their flights cancelled or delayed today when about 4,000 Qantas baggage handlers and ground staff take part in a series of rolling strikes around the country.

Qantas has been forced to cancel 28 flights and has warned passengers a further 27 flights will be delayed by up to 35 minutes as a result of the industrial action.

The airline has brought in office and administrative staff to try to cover the disruptions caused by the strikes and will also use larger planes in a bid to minimise delays.

However, the ripple effect of the strike action could last for 48 hours.

The strike action will be spread across the day at various airports, ensuring every part of Australia is affected:

• Sydney Airport from 7.01am until 11am.
• Canberra Airport from 3.31pm until 7.30pm.
• Melbourne Airport from 7.01am until 11am.
• Hobart Airport from 7.01am until 11am.
• Adelaide Airport from 10.31am until 2.30pm.
• Darwin Airport from 6.01am until 10am.
• Perth Airport from 5.01am until 9am.
• Brisbane Airport from 6.01am until 10am.
• Townsville Airport from 8.01am until 12pm.
• Cairns Airport from 8.01am until 12pm.
• Other ports (unspecified) 7.01am until 11am.

The Transport Workers Union claims its members have been “forced into” a strike after talks between the union, Qantas and Fair Work Australia failed last night.

“This is a position that they’ve been forced into by Qantas’ lack of good faith and negotiations,” Transport Workers Union (TWU) national secretary Tony Sheldon said last night.

But Qantas has hit back, claiming the Qantas workers are the best paid in Australia’s aviation industry and receive 12% more than their colleagues at Virgin.

“The TWU are asking for 15% pay increase over the next three years which is just not sustainable in the current economic climate and when these employees are already the highest paid in the Australian aviation industry,” Qantas spokeswoman Olivia Wirth said in a statement.

“The union is also trying to place restrictions on Qantas which would remove our flexibility to scale up or scale down our workforce in line with busy and quiet periods. The TWU is willing to allow its members to be paid 12 per cent less at Virgin and to enable them to have a lower pay scale for new starters but they are demanding that Qantas does not have the same flexibility.”

According to reports, baggage handlers who have turned up to work in Brisbane and Sydney before and after their planned strike action have been locked out by the airline.

Qantas pilots, who have also been considering strike action, say they will not strike in sympathy with the ground staff and baggage handlers.