If you’ve got a flight booked out of Brisbane, Sydney or Adelaide next week, prepare for some inconvenient delays.
As reported by news.com.au, over 350 ground handlers from Dubai National Air Travel Agency (Dnata) plan to walk off the job on Monday, September 12th for at least 24 hours.
And with the workers being based across Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide airports, travel in the three big Aussie cities will be affected. The one-day strike will mainly impact international operations, although some domestic travel could also be disrupted.
While appearing on The Today Show this morning, Tasmanian senator Jackie Lambie decried the strike action. “We can’t afford to do that in the country,” she insisted. “If you want a smooth transition out of COVID, then give them the wage they deserve to be paid and get on with it.” Lambie, however, did ask that disgruntled travellers don’t voice their frustration at the striking workers.
Despite the travel sector experiencing massive staff shortages as the industry returns to normal post-pandemic, Dnata workers often are only guaranteed 20 hours per week.
“Ground handling is a highly-skilled job, but thousands of experienced workers have been forced out of the industry by Qantas‘ illegal outsourcing and the Morrison Government refusing Dnata workers JobKeeper,” was how Transport Worker’s Union (TWU) National Secretary Michael Caine explained the situation.
He added that a lot of workers are struggling with their pay and conditions coming under threat when their labour and expertise is required more than ever: “Dnata and Menzies ground workers are forced to pursue strike action for the first time because they can‘t afford to stay in this industry if the extreme downward spiral of wages and conditions continues.”
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There could be a silver lining though, with a Qantas spokesman telling 9 News that measures have been put in place to ensure the worker shortages next Monday doesn’t completely disrupt the airports.
For more on this topic, follow the Travel Observer.
